^S/s?^ 



er 



^ 



INDUSTRIAL ARTS 

IN OUR 

ELEMENTARY 
SCHOOLS 



EDGERTON 



THE MANUAL ARTS PRESS 
PEORIA, ILLINOIS 



INDUSTRIAL ARTS 



IN OUR 



ELEMENTARY 
SCHOOLS 



BV 



A. H. EDGERTON 

/Assistant Professor^ School of Education 
Indiana Universitv 




The Manual Arts Press 
peoria, illinois 






Copyright, 1922 
A. H. EDGERtON 

12F22 



JUN -3 1922 

©CI.A674464 



PREFACE 



IT IS only natural that all true Amer- 
icans should be proud of our demo- 
cratic claim that free education is provid- 
ed in each public rural and urban school in 
the United States. However, our taith in 
this boast cannot carry much conviction, 
either with ourselves or with others, un- 
less the elementary schools are seriously 
concerned with those human activities 
that contribute most in preparing for the 
many-sided demands which confront all 
intelligent consumers and worthy citizens. 
If our elementary industrial arts courses 
are to continue to occupy an important 
place in the program for elementary edu- 
cation, they must soon be subjected 
to the same general tests and judged by 
the same high standards that apply to 
the other elementary school subjects. 
The relative possibilities in the different 
plans for realizing common objectives also 
must be determined more scientifically 
than heretofore. 

These brief reports dealing with the 
various units of elementary industrial 
arts work and study, which were suc- 
cessfully organized and conducted by 
Miss Hunter and the several other teach- 
ers named in connection with their re- 
spective contributions, were collected for 
the 1921 Yearbook by the Industrial Arts 
Committee* of the National Society for 
the study of Education. Since it did 
not prove expedient for the Society to 
publish Part III of its 1921 Yearbook, 
which was to have included these sug- 
gestive reports, it has been recommended 
and urged that this carefully planned 
and tried material on promising experi- 
ments for developing industrial courses 
and projects to meet the psychological 



*This committee was composed oi L. A. Herr, G. 
H. Hargitt and A. H. Edgerton, chairman. 



and social needs of elementary school 
pupils should be revised for publication 
as a handbook for teachers of industrial 
arts in elementary schools. In order that 
all concerned might derive the most help 
from these valuable units and projects, 
it finally has been decided to present 
them in connection with the findings and 
implications resulting from this investi- 
gation of 141 public school systems. 

The educational needs of today seem 
to call for instruction which aims (1) to 
develop the pupil's general and special 
capacities and (2) to prepare him for the 
demands which the future is going to 
make upon him. But it is obvious that 
the early conception of the rudiments of 
elementary education, involving some 
skill in reading, writing, and arithmetic, 
altho still important, will not begin to 
suffice either in aiding pupils who con- 
tinue their school work to choose their 
courses more wisely in secondary edu- 
cation, or in helping those who might 
find it advisable or necessary to leave 
school with a minimum amount of edu- 
cation to choose their respective pro- 
cedure more thotfully. While it has long 
since been agreed that, if possible, chil- 
dren should be sufficiently well prepared 
in school so that they may exercise in- 
telligent judgment in weighing values 
and in choosing their future courses of 
study and work, the traditional curri- 
culum has quite frequently failed to 
furnish those concrete experiences and 
reliable facts pertaining to the social, 
the economic, and the larger personal 
aspects of our most important life occu- 
pations, all of which could help to make 
this possibility a reality. 

After reading these suggestive reports 
dealing with the purpose, content and 
method of various correlated units and 



projects, all must agree that the teachers 
concerned are seriously attempting to 
adapt both the construction work and the 
subject-matter to those situatio7is and re- 
sponses ivhich promise most in determin- 
ing social conduct^ thru the development 
of proper habits , attitudes ^and appreciations . 
Readers desiring a more complete study 
of the development of those fundamental 
principles tor selection, and the adapta- 
tion of such principles to elementary 
school curricula, are referred to the 
numerous standard works, of which Pro- 
fessor F. G. Bonser's "Elementary School 
Curriculum" is perhaps the most directly 
practical. For aid generously given, I 
wish to thank the many teachers, super- 



visors, principals, and superintendents 
who co-operated both in collecting and 
in checking these data used as a basis 
for the comparative studies included 
thruout this publication. The writer 
wishes to express his indebtedness to the 
several experienced teachers who have 
cheerfully contributed the numerous brief 
reports acknowledged in the following 
pages, and, in particular, this gratitude 
to Miss Rosana Hunter of the City Public 
Schools in Indianapolis, Indiana, and to 
Mr. L. A. Herr of The Lincoln School, 
New York City, for valued assistance 
rendered in the preparation of manu- 
script for the original report. 

—A. H. E. 



CONTENTS 

I. Emphasis iyi Purpose and Content page 

1. General Purpose of Industrial Kxperiences in 141 Systems 7 

2. Chief Claims Reported for Offering Elementary Industrial Arts 8 

3. Changing Tendencies in Methods for Organizing and Conducting Activities 8 

4. Proper Correlation Enriches f^lementary School Curriculum 10 

5. Suggestive r>'pes ot These Elementary Industrial Arts Activities. 

(a) Clothing and Textiles (P'irst Grade) 11 

(b) Shelter — Wood (Second Grade) 12 

(c) Paper Making (Third Grade) 12 

(d) Food (Fourth Grade) 13 

(e) Metals — Iron and Steel (Fifth Grade) 13 

(f) Brick Making (Sixth Grade) 13 

II. Correlating and Developiyig Units oj Work and Study 

1. Neeil for Careful Study and Impartial Experimentation 15 

2. Contributions to and from Closely Related Subjects in Curriculum 15 

3. Reports on Successfully Developeii Correlations. 

(a) Making a Home (Grade I) 17 

(b) Clothing and Textiles (Grades I and II) 17 

(c) Foods and Textiles (Grades I and II) 17 

(d) Illustrative Projects (Grade III) 18 

(e) Related Projects (Grade III) 19 

(f) Shelter and Food (Grade IV) ! 19 

(g) Illustrative Projects (Grade IV and V) 20 

( h) Correlated Food Project (Grade V) 20 

(i) Class Projects (Grade \'I) 21 

(j) Stimulating a Study of Architecture (Grade VI) 21 

4. Relation between Construction Problems and Intellectual Content 21 

III. Methods of Offering Project-Problem Instruction 

\. Iniiustrial Experiences Involve Three Closely Related Elements 23 

2. Project-Problem Method of Learning and of Industrial Arts Instruction 23 

3. Brief Reports on Successful Industrial Arts Projects and Problems. 

(A) Types of First, Second, and Third Grade Work. 

(a) A Playhouse Project (Grade I) 24 

(b) Books and Other Records (Grade II) 25 

(c) Corn Project (Grade II) 25 

(d) Pottery and Chinaware (Grade III) 25 

(e) Concurrent Relations of the Shop and Academic Subjects (Grade III) . . 26 

(B) Types of Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Grade Work. 

(a) Individual Projects (Grade IV) 26 

(b) Class Projects (Grade IV) 27 

(c) Food Project — Difference between Flours (Grade V) 27 

(d) Illustrative Projects (Grade V) 27 

(e) Related Projects (Grade V) 28 

(f ) Making Vases of Clay (Grade VI) 28 

(g) Clothing (Grade VI) 29 

4. Variability in Methods of Approaching and Offering Industrial Studies "0 

5. Preparation for and Supervision of EJementary Industrial Arts Instruction 31 

6. General Summarv 31 



INDUSTRIAL ARIS IN OUR ELEMENTARY' SCH(X)LS 
I. Emphasis in Purpose and Content 



(iKNERAl, PLIKl'OSK OK INDUS'IRIAI. 
KXPKRIKNCKS IN 141 SYSTHMS 

OL'R most progressive public school 
systems now recognize the import- 
ant need tor properly presenting, organiz- 
ing, and offering industrial arts activities 
in the first six grades of school experience. 
This notable tendency of the past tew 
years undoubtedly is due in part to the 
marked change in the purpose, content, 
and method ot the industrial work now 
given as a means ot developing general 
intelligence and knowledge ot the in- 
dustries during the elementary-school 
period in much ot the best public school 
curricula. At least, this is the verdict 
of a large majority (117) of the 141 pro- 
gressive school systems which have re- 
ported recently from 19 different states 
on the industrial activities now being ex- 
perienced by their elementary school 
pupils. 

While the emphasis in the work and 
study in these elementary grades (one 
to six, inclusive) differs somewhat in 
keeping with the various types ot schools 
investigated, Table I and Fig. I make 
it evident that those courses which are 
designed for studying present-day indus- 
tries in an elementary way, in order that 
boys and girls may be more intelligent 
and appreciative of the conditions, ma- 
terials, processes, and methods involved in 
manufacturing the products observed in 
everyday life, are rapidly replacing the so- 
called "busy work" or handwork courses, 
many of which have had the doing anci 
making of things as their primary aim 
or purpose. 

This investigation and a number of 
recent school surveys make it evident 
that the larger values in elementary in- 
dustrial arts cannot be realized alone by 



merely making even usetul and service- 
able products. If these activities are to 
continue to occupy an important place 
in the elementary school program, it is 
believed by many that they will be ex- 
pected to share the responsibility with 
other subjects for helping pupils to de- 
velop appreciative insight and reasoiiing 
ability in tertns of significant interests and 
actual life needs. Both psychology and 
experience have taught us that children 
trom six to twelve years ot age are mainly 
concerneci with the activities and situa- 
tions in which atlults are engaged, rather 
than in series ot exercises, mociels, or 
pieces ot an abstract nature. Then, too, 
it is a generally accepted tact today that 
extended repitition of the same operations 
and processes causes children ot this age 
to lose interest in their work and also to 
gain a larger amount ot technic in the use 
of hand tools than is commensurate with 
the relative value of the time and energy 
expended. Altho the importance ot skill 
or dexterity is fully recognized as a factor 
in general elementary education, results 
of several experiments and observations, 
which will be given later in these chapters, 
clearly indicate that either one of these 
will prove of most value when vitalized 
thru those concrete experiences that 
stimulate thinking and actually relate to 
the needs ot everyday lite. 

CHIEF CLAIMS REPORTED FOR OFFERING 
ELEMENTARY INDUSTRIAL ARTS 

In the reports trom these 141 school 
systems, each of which gave its main 
reason for offering industrial work in the 
elementary school, the four leading claims, 
when collated, were found to be given the 
order of importance shown in Table I, 
which follows: 



IXDUSTRI.n. .-IRTS LV OUR ELE.VIENTJRY SCHOOLS 



ITEM NUMBER 

TABLP^ I. Listing the Chief Reason tor Offering Industrial Arts Instruction in the Eirst Six Grades 
of Each of 141 Public School Systems. 

1. Giving a basis for judgment in the selection and use ot industrial protiucts and service 51 

2. Developing an appreciation tor the economic and social phases ot industry 39 

3. Gaining sut?icient experience in industrial processes to meet the pupil's needs and to illustrate 

the industry- 32 

4. Vitalizing geography-, histor\-, arithmetic, oral ami written expression, and other subjects in the 

curriculum 19 

Total Number Reported 141 

Altho it was discovered that in a tew necessarily so graded that the simple 

cases these claims were expressions ot tut- phases of industrial experience and study 

ure plans rather than the present status may be developed in the lower graties 

and conduct of the work, nevertheless, (one, two and three) and the more con^- 

only about six per cent ot these public plex phases taken up in the higher grades 

school systems have made practically no (four, tive, and six). 

changes in the methods of organizing The composite ot the individual reports 

and conducting their elementary indus- in this investigation, as tabulated in 

trial work during the past tew years. Table I, shows that the purpose of the 

On the other hand, ovc}- eighty per cent elementary industrial arts in an increas- 

of these school systems show every evidence ing number ot these schools is to provide 

of having undergone desirable reorganiza- a background of experience and know- 

tion in methods and procedure. ledge, using various types of materials 

that will enable the pupils to appreciate; 

CHANGING TENDENCIES IN METHODS FOR '^ . . , "^ 

and understand those industrial processes 

ORGANIZING AND CONDUCTING ACTIVITIES i ,- i i i ti 

that supply tundamental needs. 1 he 
Industrial arts as an elementary school subject-matter is, therefore, in the main, 
subject has been well defined as "the found in a consideration of how man's 
distilled experience of man in his resolu- food, clothing, shelter, utensils, tools, 
tion ot natural materials to his needs tor machines, and other utilities are provided, 
creature comtort, to the end that he may Fig. I gives the total number and per 
more richly live his spiritual life."^ This cent of the 141 school systems offering 
resolution ot natural materials to man's instruction in each type of inciustrial ex- 
needs involves the study ot our great in- perience reported. The materials of study 
dustrial lite. With advancing civiliza- ordinarily used are clay, wood, metal, 
tion a highly specialized industrial system food, textiles, paper, and the like. Aside 
has been developed. The finished prod- from the kind of work already indicated, 
ucts by which the needs ot man are sup- opportunity also is usually given for con- 
plied are the results of complicated manu- structive work from the standpoint of 
facturing processes. By means ot these free expression at such stated times as 
processes the raw materials of industry Hallowe'en, Christmas, Easter, and as 
are transtormed into the many finished other occasions dictate, 
products ot varying quality and value Manipulative work frequently is given 
required by man. The school work is major emphasis, as far as the pupils are 
1 c:^„ R n ^■ "f I . I V 1 11 concerned, tor it is believed bv a majoritv 

bee Bulletin on fundamental \ alues in Imlus- ' . .< ■ 

trial Education," Teachers College, Columbia L'ni- (^2.7 per cent) of the teachers concerned 
versity, Publication. that the knowledge and appreciation 



EMP//JS/S /N PVRPOSE JND CONTENT 



most vital to their hoys and girls are the time the child reaches the seventh 

secured in this way. Nevertheless, un- grade (1) that he should have a fairly 

due stress need not he placed upon this clear hut general understanding ot the 

phase of the work if //z<? /Jro/'/fWJ ««<3'/>ro- production in the important industries 

jects challenge mental as well as manual which are heing carried on ahout him; 



110 120 130 140 



SHELTKR AND 
FUr<NTTrRE 



inn 
94.2?2) 



TEXTILES AND 
CLOTHING 



FOOD AND ALLIED 
ACTIVITIES 



PAPER AND PRINT 
FD PRODUCTS 



POTTEPY AND OTHER 
EAHTHE>' PRODUCTS 



TOOLS, MACHINES & 
OTHER UTILITIES 



HANDWORK AS SUCH 
(BASKETRY, WEAVING)! 




activity. The experience to date indi- 
cates that a maximum of time preferably 
is given to elementary studies ot the 
various industries, and that manipulative 
work should occur whenever it aids most 
in an understanding of the industry or 
in making the subject more interesting. 
It is generally agreed that the actual 
"try out" courses for specialized inter- 
ests and aptitudes, as such, may well he 
taken up intensively in grades above the 
sixth." Several of these teachers state 
they believe it is desiral)le, however, by 



" Edgerton, A.H. "Industrial Arts and Prevoca- 
tional Education in Our Intermediate and Junior 
High Schools," Industrial Arts Magazine, October, 
1921. 



(2) that he should know something of 
the persons that are engaged in these in- 
dustrial pursuits; and (3) that he should 
be somewhat acejuainted with the pos- 
sibilities that are open to him in such 
occupations. Questions concerning sources 
and preparation of materials, manufactur- 
ing processes, and the character and lives 
of the workers arise in a natural way, 
and, where these are given proper atten- 
tion, will contribute materially to an in- 
telligent understanding of present-day in- 
dustry. F.xcursions, moving pictures, ex- 
hibits, selected readings, and discussions^ 
likewise become .important factors in the 
development of this phase of the stutiy.- 
Leon L. Winslow, who is specialist ina 



10 



INDUSTRIAL ARTS IN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 



drawing and industrial training for the 
New York State Department of Educa- 
tion, has stated clearly the relation which 
might well exist between the elementary 
industrial arts, the so-called fine arts, 
and other school subjects, as follows: 

For the purpose of organization, most of the draw- 
ing (art) and construction work done in schools 
fails to the subject of industrial arts, not because 
it is a manual subject but rather because it is an 
industrial subject and because industry deals more 
with drawing and construction than do history or 
geography or arithmetic. As phases of school life, 
drawing and construction are at the disposal of all 
school studies, but the time has gone by when 
drawing and manual training can be advantageous- 
ly regarded as separate subjects in the elementary 
school course. Either one is but a part of the sub- 
ject which it is intended to clarify and intensify. 
We, therefore, choose to form the new subject of in- 
dustrial arts by combining drawing and construc- 
tion with an educative subject-matter relating to 
industry. 

When the industry is once chosen, the class is 
put to work investigating it, collecting information 
from all possible sources. Much of the material is 
obtained thru actual contact with those engaged 
in it or who handle its product. Some facts will 
be gleamed from reference books. The topics to 
be considered will depend upon the information 
available and the ability of the class. The follow- 
ing outline is helpful in considering what may con- 
stitute the subject-matter in each industry studied: 
(1) The value of the industry to man; how we are 
affected by it, (2) The evolution of the industry; 
its story, its heroes of invention (history), (3) 
Characteristics of the product; what constitutes 
excellence. (4) Materials employed, where they come 
from, (geography), (5) Processes involved, (6) Tools 
used, (7) Healthfulness (hygiene), (8) Hours and 
wages, (9) The training of the workers, (10) The 
part played in the industry by arithmetic, (11) 
The part played by drawing and design, (12) Ref- 
erences to the industry found in literature, (13) 
The industry as depicted in art. 

The subject-matter of industrial arts includes 
such of the principles of art as are involved con- 
tinually in each industry as it is taken up. Master- 
pieces in painting and sculpture considered as 
records made by man at various times and under 
varying conditions, will be treated from the aes- 
thetic side, primaril)-. .Art instruction will be 
amply provided for, and yet art will not be con- 
sidered, as it has sometimes been in the past, as 
an end in itself 



The handwork is based upon the subject-matter 
studied and its two kinds: (1) Drawing, including, 
color, representation and design; (2) construction, 
including the preparation and combination of ma- 
terials. All projects are considered as means of 
expressing ideas and feelings gotten from a study 
of the activities and not merely as pieces of hand- 
work to go along with the various studies. Hand- 
work should Iways result from a definite purpose 
calling for it. 3 

In a few of the schools investigated a 
special arrangement has been made tor 
the pupils from about eight to twelve 
years of age whereby they spend part of 
their time serving as "helpers" or "as- 
sistants" to the older pupils. This plan, 
which obviously offers limited educa- 
tional value, is intended to give the 
younger children opportunity to acquire 
experience thru observation and very 
elementary participation. 

PROPER CORRELATIONf ENRICHE.S 
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM 

It is pointed out by a number ot edu- 
cators that illustrative handwork is not 
necessarily industrial arts, as the former 
is niainly a means of arousing interest in 
and developing geography, history, and 
other school subjects. That is, they in- 
sist that this form of activity rarely deals 
with the study of the processes involved 
in changing raw materials into more 
valuable products in the industries, and, 
consequently, it cannot correctly be classi- 
fied as strictly industrial arts education. 

Altho the name of the study, after all, 
is not of first importance, there unquestion- 
ably is need in elementary education for 
work and study which involve an elementayy 
interpretation of the many vital but com- 
plicated industrial situations^ conditions^ 
and relationships that confront all citizens 
garments; pottery from the clay banks to finished 



^ See Bulletin on "Art and Industrial .Arts," a 
handbook for the elementary grade teachers. State 
Department of Kducafion publication, Albany, 



EM PH. -ISIS IN PURPOSE AND CONTENT 



11 



and consumers^ both early and late in life. 
In this connection, the industrial arts 
problems or projects, which are thought 
out, planned, and developed by the 
younger boys and girls, imdoubtedly 
should be illustrative, at least, in so lar 
as the illustrations help to develop the 
study of industries. At any rate, one 
striking feature observed more and more 
in the elementary industrial arts classes 
is the fact that this subject correlates 
easily and naturally with the rest of the 
school curricula. Much ot this valuable 
work and study is being given during the 
history, geography, and reading periods. 
In fact, it is frequently the case that little 
special time is set aside lor this industrial 
arts work in flexible school programs, be- 
cause it is so closely interwoven with such 
subjects as those just mentioned. In 
order to realize the most value from these 
studies, however, it becomes necessary 
for each grade teacher to so aquaint her- 
sell with a knowledge ol the important 
industries that she can seize the oppor- 
tunity to effectively correlate the indus- 
trial arts with the other related school 
subjects. 

Professor F. G. Bonser ot Teachers 
College, Columbia University, has called 
our attention forcefully to this promising 
tendency in elementary education as 
follows: 

Not only are values elevelopeti in relationship to 
the industries themselves, but the immediate real, 
tangible materials of these activities and interests 
centering in everyday use create the needs for and 
the problems in most of the other school subjects. 
They make appreciable a reason for arithmetic and 
geography and history. Vitally inherent in them 
lie the problems of hygiene and sanitation. Much 
of nature study and science have their very reason 
for existence as school studies in the industrial 
problems whose solution is dependent upon them. 
Indeed, the study of the industries viewed aright 
is the very foundation upon which any effective 
organization of elementary education must be 
based or it will be abstract and remote from life. 
By the study of clothing materials and processes 
from the raw textile fibers to finished fabrics and 



china and other earthenwares; shelter from the 
forest to completetl dwelling houses and their 
furnishings; or from c|uarry and mine to completed 
stone, concrete and steel edifices, large and small; 
books from the jvipcr mill to the publisher's sales- 
room; antl all ot the various important fields of 
industrial jiroduction from raw materials to finished 
products, from simple, jirimitive methods to the 
complex machinotacture ot the twentieth century, 
— by such study we have the approach to almost 
every phase of present-day life with means for in- 
terpreting it in terms of economic, esthetic, civic 
and social values. 

The proper teaching ol the industrial 
arts, as already outlined, will not only 
enrich each closeK' related subject, but 
these subjects in turn will vitalize the 
study of industrial arts. 

su(;c;estive tvpes of these 
ei.ementarv industrial arts activities 

The following elementary industrial 
arts units were developed successfully in 
grades from one to six, inclusive, under 
the supervision ot Miss Rosana Hunter, 
who formerly was an instructor ot in- 
dustrial arts at Indiana University and 
at present is affiliated with the Indian- 
apolis, Imliana, Public Schools. 

CLOTHING AND TEXTILES 

(First Grade) 

In the first grade, the study of textiles was neces- 
sarily of a very simple type. The main object was 
to convey to the children the idea that many of 
the useful, enjoyable things in lite mean work upon 
the part of hundreds of people, ami that the prep- 
aration ot clothing and like material involves a 
great industry. Observation of the clothing that 
each child wore was made — how it was made up 
ot tiny threads woven over and under each other. 
This same thought was applied to draperies, linen, 
bed clothing, and other textiles used in the homes. 
Alter the children had conceived the idea of what 
weaving really meant, the question was suggested 
as to how each tiny separate thread was made. 
A simple study of single threads of ravelings fol- 
lowed. By untwisting and twisting again to make ■ 



Bonser, P'rederick G. "Industrial Education in 
Present School Problems," School and .Society, 
August 26, 1916, Vol. IV. 



12 



INDUSTRIAL ARTS IN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 



up ;i threaii, the children were led to see that a 
thread was nothing more than a number of fibers 
twisted around each other. A story was then told 
of the great factories where just such twisting of 
fibers to make threads was performed. Pictures 
were brought in to help the children realize that 
such was the case. All of this finally led to the 
question as to where the first fibers were obtained, 
and stories of the sheep, flax and cotton were told. 
The children developed their own questions and 
problems, and consequently were most interested 
in solving and answering them. 

After the twisting of threads was understood, the 
subject of weaving was again taken up. Pictures 
were used to show how this was done in large in- 
dustrial plants. Manipulation became an import- 
ant part of the work at this period. Some small 
looms were made with the help of the teacher by 
fastening four pieces ot wood securely together in 
the form of a rectangle and notching the end pieces 
so that the warp threads could be strung around 
them. Upon these looms, the children wove small 
rugs for a doll house that had been made by the 
older pupils. Several children worked upon the 
same rug, for the method of weaving and not the 
finished product was the real object in mind. The 
idea of textiles was further carried out in connec- 
tion with this doll house by the making of curtains, 
draperies, and bed linen. 

This work was correlated with the story and 
reading periods by using the stories ot the lite ot 
the sheep on the ranch, of a cotton plant, ot Pippa, 
of Arachne, and numerous others of this type. In 
connection with the nature study work, the oriole's 
nest was observed. The spider was cited as a 
weaver, and the suggestion that the caterpillar 
might be called a weaver led to a talk about the 
silk worm. A window box was obtained and flax 
seed planted. This was watched with much zest 
by the children, and when the plants matured 
they took great interest in seeing how the fiber 
could be taken from the plant and twisted into 
threads. 

SHELIER— WOOD 

(Second Grade) 

A study of the wood industry was begun with a 
socialized recitation about woods or, as we event- 
ually called them, forests. The story ot the "Pine 
Tree," by Hans Andersen, was told and the children 
were helped to realize what was really meant by a 
forest. Illustrative material in the form of pictures 
was abundantly used, the children bringing much 
of this from home. 

Eventually the pine tree was singled out as a 
type and an elementary study was made ot it and 
its characteristics. Bv storv and illustration its 



life was carrieil along from the forest until it was 
cut down b\- the lumberman and brought to the 
lumber mill. Then the following steps were brought 
out, always in a manner that could be understood 
by the children: the cutting of the great planks 
from a log, the sawing and planing of the plank in 
the mill, the final making of the boards into houses, 
furniture, or other useful articles. The story of the 
carpenter was introduced here and carried out both 
in reading and in song. Illustrative material of 
lumber mills and saw mills was constantU' useil to 
impress upon the children the idea that the wood 
industry is an important part ot the world's work. 
The manipulative part of the work consisted of 
the making of a rather crude bird house from ma- 
terial that the children had brought in. The house 
was built for a wren, consequentlx' it did not call 
tor much material. The project was given the 
finishing touches by sand papering and by staining. 
The latter was done long before it was used in 
order that the odor might disappear before the 
birds wished to build. The staining ot the house 
led to a discussion of the grain of wood, and one 
or two methods ot finishing woods as carried on in 
furniture factories. 

PAPER MAKING 

(Third Grade) 

The manipulative phase of the study of the paper 
industry consisted of making a small booklet that 
was used to hold school papers, which the children 
wished to save. In connection with this booklet, 
strawboard, cover paper, and binder's cloth were 
brought under observation. This easily led to a 
study on the part of the children to find out how 
books and paper were originally made and how 
they are made today. 

The origin of paper making was taken up thru 
the story of the keeping ot records by the ancient 
people of Asia, Greece, and Rome. The wax and 
clay tablets were discussed and their non-durability 
pointed out. The story of Egyptian paper making 
from papyrus was developed and this led to the 
story of the use of sheepskin, calfskin, flax, and 
cotton fibers for the same purpose. Illustrative 
material of old pamphlets that had been illustrated 
wnd printed by hand were shown. The invention 
of the printing press and the great demand for 
paper led up to the present manufacturing of paper. 

In connection with the industry of today, the 
following points were emphasized: the obtaining of 
rags and the sorting of these, the securing of 
old paper and the combining of rags and paper, 
the cutting, mixing, rolling, drying, coloring, and 
finishing of paper. The difference between blotting 
paper, writing paper, cartlboard, and tissue paper 



EMPHASIS IN PURPOSE AND CONTENT 



13 



was observed. The making of certain kimls of 
paper from wood fiber was correlated with the 
reading period. The children were keen enough 
to bring up the subject o\ the making of paper 
clothing during the last few years. 

Some small boys undertook to tr\' paper making 
at home by pulverizing rags and paper together 
and by boiling them in a little lye water with rosin 
to hold the fibers together. The result was a very 
heavy crude blotting paper that helped much in 
giving an idea as to how the work is done in the 
factory. Other children made up charts of samples 
of different kinds of paper that could be found. 
These charts were on exhibition in the schoolroom 
and were viewed with great pride by the makers. 
Helpful illustrative material for the study of this 
industry was obtained from the Hampshire Paper 
Company at South Hadley Falls, Mass., and the 
Forest Paper Company at Yarmouthville, Me. 

FOOD 

(Fourth Grade) 

In the fourth grade, emphasis was laid upon the 
preparation of meats, and also of wheat as a ceral 
for our use. In connection with the former, the 
life of the rancher was taken up in the geography 
period. The beef was traced from the ranch to 
the stockyards and the packing house. Some time 
was given to the preparation of the meat after the 
beef was killed. Allen's Industrial Reader was used 
extensively with this work, and some very good 
material was obtained from Morris and Company 
in Chicago. (The latter contains excellent illustra- 
tions and carries the work along the different proc- 
esses of refrigerating, drying, smoking, and canning). 
The place of this industry in the United States, 
the approximate number of people employed, and 
the location of the large stockyards and meat- 
packing establishments in this and other countries 
were studied. The story of the raising of sheep for 
food was taken up in much the same manner as 
that of the beef. 

With the study of the cereal, the story of a grain 
of wheat was traced from the wheat fields of the 
northwest to the time when the loaf of bread, or 
the breakfast food, was placed upon the dining 
table. Consideration was given to the number of 
persons employed in this industry and its place in 
the world's work. Materials obtained from the 
Washburn-Crosby Company showing a diagram of 
the milling processes in the flour mill were found 
helpful. Stories of "How the World is Fed" were 
read and a comparison was made of the ancient 
ways of making flour and meal as compared with 
those of the present. The whole subject was further 
vitalized by a visit to a small flour mill nearby. 



METALS— IKON AND S'lEEL 

(Fifth Grade) 

The fifth grade was studying the United States 
in geography. One of the important natural re- 
sources proved to be iron ore. One of the chief in- 
tlustries involved was the transforming of iron into 
steel. This gave us a splentiid opportunity to in- 
vestigate the iron industry. A study was made of 
the early discoveries of iron and its smelting by 
ancient people. The fact was brought out that in 
the history of civilization a certain epoch was known 
as the Iron Age, when people first began to sub- 
stitute iron for wood and stone. The history of 
the smelting of iron was traced up to the present 
methods of manufacturing. Special attention was 
given to the difference between the open hearth 
and the Bessemer furnace. The effect of the iron 
industry upon civilization with regard to machinery, 
transportation, building, and tools was noted. Out- 
standing individuals who had done much to pro- 
mote the industry were mentioned. The children 
learned that Neilson, Siemens, and Bessemer had 
as important an influence upon our lives as did 
Washington, Franklin, and many other men to 
whose lives so much time is given in the school- 
room. 

By the time this study was completed, the chil- 
dren knew the main facts concerning the history of 
the iron industry, the names of the men who had 
promoted the industry, the different kinds of work, 
and the approximate wage of each worker in the 
industry. Since the workers of the metal industry 
are unionized, this led to a slight discussion of the 
union and its purpose. The discussion of the union 
led to introductory observations of factory working 
conditions and workmen's compensation laws. 

The manipulative phase of this study of the metal 
industry consisted of the making of a lead paper 
weight. This was done by first making the mould 
of clay. The lead was then melted over a Bunsen 
flame and poured into the mould. After cooling, 
the mould was knocked off and the weight bore 
the imprint of any shape the mould may have been. 

The idea of the work in the mills was made more 
vital b)- a set of stereopticon slides that was bor- 
rowed from the Illinois Steel Company of Chicago. 
These slides told the whole industrial story from 
the raw material to the finished product. 

BRICK MAKING 

(Sixth Grade) 

The stutly of the clay industry in connection 
with the making of bricks was brought in thru the 
geography of Indiana. Since Brazil, Indiana, is a 
great brick-producing region, our interests were 



14 



INDUSTRIAL ARTS IN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 



naturally aroused with this kind ot work. The 
making of brick was traced from early Egyptian 
and Assyrian times up to the present day. Much 
time was given to the development of this industry 
in our own country, and this work led to a study 
of the location of the large brick-producing regions 
of Indiana and the United States. The study of 
the processes of the industry involved the produc- 
tion of the raw material, its preparation for use, 
its tempering, and its moulding. Under the subject 
of moulding, the soft mud, stiff mud, and dry proc- 
esses were discussed. Quite a little time was given 
to the subject of firing, and a visit to a brick kiln 
was made by the class. 

After the class felt that it understood, to some 
extent, the different kinds of work in connection 
with this industry, the boys made a study ot the 
approximate wage of the important processes, while 
the girls collected statistics concerning the number 
of persons employed and the necessary preparation 
required of a worker in order to be classed as a 
skilled workman. Of course, the fact that the 
workers are unionized was revealed, and, as in the 
iron industry in the fourth grade, this led to a dis- 
cussion of factory conditions, hazards of the work, 
and seasonableness of employment. 

The manipulative phase of the work consisted of 
the making of a small brick in a wooden mould. 
Each child made a mould and brought in clay for 
the work. The fact that these hand-made bricks 



shrank, and were not as. large when dry as when 
wet, led to an interesting discussion as to how much 
a brick maker must allow for shrinkage. The 
bricks were not glazed and fired, but the subject 
of glazing was touched upon and the difference 
between common, pressed and enamelled bricks 
was pointetl out. 

During this stuth' the children kept note books, 
so that a definite check was had as to how much 
they were really learning from the discussions and 
readings. Stereopticon slides of other clay indus- 
tries were also used to aid in impressing upon them 
the importance ot this particular industry. 

While it is encouraging to note these 
promising results in method and pro- 
cedure, which tend to show that -ive have 
jrequoitly undcresli)iiatcd the ability of 
children from 6 to 12 years of age, it cer- 
tainly would be unwise, at this time, to 
consider any feasible plan tor offering 
elementary industrial arts instruction as 
more than tentative. These excellent re- 
sults should at least point the way for 
further experimentation, which is certain 
to make more reliable comparisons and 
measurements possible as the work de- 
velops. 



II. Correlating and Developing Units of Work and Study 
NEED FOR CAREFUL STUDY mcthods and practices, as conditions per- 

AND IMPARTIAL EXPERIMENTATION ^:^ • ^^ i^^ ^L^^ ^i U U 

mit, in order that the results may be 

jr\ESPITE the many encouraging read- carefully observed, tested, and compared 

-■-^ justments and tendencies pointed whenever possible. 

out in the preceding chapter relative to It is hoped that the different types of 

the purpose and content of profitable in- successfully tried units and projects, 

dustrial experiences in the elementary which are published in the following 

grades of 141 public school systems, Table manner by special request, will prove 

II shows that a wide range of opinion still sufficiently suggestive to challenge a large 

exists as to the actual methods to be em- number of teachers to try them out as 

ployed in realizing any one of these gen- stated or in modified form. These ac- 

erally accepted objectives. It is to be curately reported units of work have 

TABLE II. 352 grade teachers report their respective methods for correlating the in- 
dustrial ARTS to make English (oral and written) a true growth of each pupil's experience.^ 

ITEM NO. 

1. Each pupil is encouraged to become interested in expressing himself in a clear manner 

during industrial arts talks and discussions 126 

2. Each pupil is required to write up excursions to industrial plants, make class reports 
and notes in accepted English for his grade and in a form which has been agreed upon as satis- 
factory by all concerned 98 

3. Each pupil studies and, wherever possible, uses accepted business forms and practices 

to become familiar with the related commercial aspects of the various industries 83 

4. Each pupil is taught to select and evaluate the most important information from the 
selected readings: 

a. Those readings which are assigned for the purpose of giving definite information and 
attendant technic directly related to the construction work done 45 

b. Those readings which do not directly affect the construction work, but give understand- 
ing, insight, and inquiring attitudes of mind in connection with occupational activities in 

every day life 34 79 



hoped that the time is not far distant 
when careful study and impartial experi- 
mentation may aid us in determining the 
comparative values of our most feasible 
methods by fairly and thoroly testing 
them in some definite way. However, 
until more accurate means have been de- 
vised for ascertaining the truth (facts, 
rather than mere opinions) regarding 
w/ial and how pupils from approximately 
6 to 12 years of age can learn most effective- 
ly and economically ^ it behooves those who 
are responsible for organizing and con- 
ducting the industrial arts activities to 
select and try out various appropriate 



been collected intentionally from indi- 
viduals having somewhat varied points 
of view and experience, with the thought 
that the results obtained and the means 
employed might interest those concerned 
and encourage further experimentation 
with the several plans for realizing com- 
mon aims or purposes. 

Contributions to and from Closely 
Related Subjects in Curriculum 

The far-reaching possibilities in en- 
riching the elementary school curriculum 

These numbers will total more than 352, as 
several teachers reported more than one method. 



15 



16 



ISDUSTRI.^L JRTS IN OUR ELEMENT.-] RY SCHOOLS 



by properly correlating the industrial arts 
activities with such closely related tool 
and content subjects as English, geog- 
raphy, history, nature-study, arithmetic, 
and the fine arts were suggested in the 
introductory chapter. Figure 2 shows 
the number of school systems attempting 
such correlations. In the most effective 
teaching of this nature observed, each 



number of these relationships which 352 
grade teachers utilized in order to help 
pupils make their oral and written speech 
more effective. Altho each subject must 
have its own objectives and subject- 
matter in the classroom, and naturally 
will subordinate the other, in emphasis 
at times, nevertheless, any one of the 
subjects mentioned will lose much of its 




Fig. 2. 



subject was studied and developed in inherent value provided it neglects to 
terms of its relationship to fundamental utilize the other subjects advantageously 



needs. The industrial activity was not 

only emphasized and conducted in its 

true perspective, but it was utilized to 

an extent that could be justified by its 

relative worth in each specific case. It 

likewise was observed that the content 

of these closely related subjects was are suggestive of a few of the valuable 

greatly vitalized by utilizing the indus- correlations which have resulted from 

trial arts work. Table II indicates a resourceful teaching. 



to enrich its own particular aspect of the 
study. 

REPORTS ON SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOPED 
CORRELATIONS 

The following widely varied reports 



CORRELJTING AND DEVELOPING UNITS OF IfORK JND STUDY 



17 



MAKING A HOME— GRADE I 
Edith M. Parsons, 

Teacher at I'oiiiigsrown, Ohio 

This undirected community work was carried out 
by a first-grade class of forty foreign children, most 
ot whom were from crowded and unkept homes. My 
aim was to derive as much pleasure anc] profit for 
these children as possible; while the children tie- 
sired to model a home and its environments. 

Conversation first took place concerning the 
home and uses of furniture. As there were no 
furniture stores near enough for us to visit, I put 
colored furniture plates, catalogs, and magazines 
in convenient places, for the pupils' inspection.- 
.After many suggestions and discussions the follow- 
ing was decided upon by vote: (a) Size of house, 
(b) its color, (c) the kind of furniture, (d) the kind 
of floor and wall coverings, (e) the place of the 
garden, (f) the decoration ot the front \ar(l, (g) 
who was to make each part. 

The educational values realizetl from this study 
were briefly as follows: 

1. Language — Conversation and criticisms. 

2. Number — counting, costs, and measuring. 

3. Nature study — seed and germination; the 
value of rain, air, and sunshine; the value of toads, 
snakes, and insects that live in gardens. 

4. Health — value of foods grown in a garden; 
ventilation and cleanliness in home keeping. 

5. Citizenship — voting and cheerfully abiding by 
the decision ot the majority. 

6. Writing — the necessary work in planning, 
costs, and the like. 

Equally important with the above were the 
following social adjustments: 

1. Added ability to work together. 

2. The appreciation of the good work of another. 

3. The ability to take and give criticism. 

4. The ability to help one another. 

5. The creation ot a teeling of responsibility tor 
a completed task. 

6. Concentration and independence ot thought. 

CLOTHING AND TEXTILES- 
GRADES I AND II 

Pearl G. Candee 
Supervisor of Industrial Arts, Niagara Falls, N. Y. 

In the public school, we can no longer separate 
art and industry from their proper relation to every 
subject taught in the elementary grade curriculum. 
During the past two years Niagara Falls has intro- 
duced problems in industrial arts into its grade 
school course of study, endeavoring to give the 
child some knowledge of the industry studied and 



the direct relation of arithmetic, geography, draw- 
ing, and other subjects to it. For instance, the 
making of designs for silk material is preceded by 
all of the appropriate knowledge obtainable about 
the silk industry. The following is a typical out- 
line for one subject (textiles), which was used in 
grades I and 1 1 last \ear. 
Gi'ade I. 

(a) Discussion ot clothing to be worn at various 
times ot year, as to kinds, material, color, etc. 

(b) Paper dolls were cut from patterns. Cos- 
tumes for summer, winter, fall, and spring were 
made from colored construction paper and trimmed 
(original designs). 

Grades II . 

(a) Discussions ot clothing worn by people of 
various lands includeti 

\. Of what the materials are made. 

2. How the materials are obtained. 

3. Where the materials are obtained. 

4. The color combinations used. 

(b) Paper dolls were cut from patterns. Cos- 
tumes representing children ot various lands were 
made from colored construction paper. 

(c) This study was correlated with story illus- 
trations and geography. 

FOOD AND TEXTILES- GRADES I AND II 

Carrie R. Harmon 
Supervisor ot Imlustrial Arts, Lockport, New York 

We feel that the industrial arts plan is of greater 
value than the former courses in drawing and con- 
struction work because, first, a new interest is 
created in the manufactured articles all about us 
and in all industry; second, in the appreciation ot 
what is good in design in the manufactured articles; 
third, in the appreciation of the masterpieces in 
painting and song related to each industry that is 
studied; third, thru its correlation with other sub- 
jects in the curriculum, increasing the interest in 
those subjects. It also increases the interest of 
the parents in the work of the school, as the chil- 
tiren solicit them tor information about the sub- 
ject being studied anti tor magazines from which 
to cut pictures to illustrate their subjects. 

In each subject in every grade, representation, 
design, color, and the construction work are in- 
cluded as before. Under food, the studies include 
the source of supply, the cost, the nutritive value 
and, in some classes, the method of preparation, 
setting the table properly, and the artistic arrange- 
ment of flowers to adorn it. In the second grade, 
dishes were recently cut trom paper and the napkins 
arranged on the paper table cloth in their proper 
places. The proper amount ot and the right kind 



INDUSTRIAL ARTS IN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 



of food were discussed with them. "A quart a day 
on every child's tray" is illustrated by posters, as 
we are at present having a "Milk Week" campaign 
to show the value of milk to all, and its cheapness 
as compared with other foods. 

Textiles studied for two months included work 
as follows: first grade, wool; second grade, cotton; 
third grade, silk; fourth grade, linen; fifth grade, 
cordage; sixth grade, dress design. The first grade 
was able to tell the steps in the process of making 
cloth from the shearing of sheep to the dyeing of 
the wool or cloth. 

We have used as reference books tor these studies 
the booklet, "From Wool to Cloth," which is pub- 
lished by the American Woolen Company and sent 
free to schools, "How the World is Clothed," and 
other books that were loaned to us by the State 
Department of Education at Albany, New York. 

In the first grade, sheep are cut from paper and 
mounted on the booklet covers or they are included 
in posters, or a nursery rhyme such as "Little 
Bo-Peep" is illustrated. Color and design are in- 
cluded in single form by the stick printing of a 
design on the booklet cover, or in making a design 
for a woven rug. Bright-colored yarn in one or 
more of the six colors is sewed on burlap in the 
darning stitch. This year, instead, we are making 
little woolen bootees woven on cardboard looms. 

ILLUSTRATIVE PROJECTS— GRADE III 

Georgia x^mes Kellev 
Teacher at Hillside School, Berkeley, California 

The objective ot this project, which was worked 
out at the Hillside School, was the study of Eskimo 
life thru the making, dressing, and housing of an 
Eskimo doll. In order to secure a background for 
the project, the teacher and third-grade children 
first secured pictures, books, and relics of Eskimo 
life. These books and pictures were placed on 
the reading table, where the children might have 
access to them at any time after the prescribed 
work had been completed. During the language 
period, the tacts gleaned thru the silent reading 
were presented and discussed by the children. 
These discussions were in the form of socialized 
recitations, as the initiative was taken by the 
children. They also criticized and judged the value 
of the material presented. During these discus- 
sions, the children not only helped correct the poor 
English by substituting the correct forms, but 
they also commended excellent forms of expression. 

The next step was the organization, on the part 
of the class, of all the material under a few topic- 
heads: 1. The country, its climate, resources, etc. 
2. The people, their homes, clothing, occupations, 
etc. 3. The present compared with the past. The 



class then divided itself into groups in relation to 
the topics in which the different individuals were 
most interested. Each group worked by itself to 
organize the material of the particular topic into 
a complete story. This story was afterwards pre- 
sented to the class, sometimes by members of the 
group and sometimes by one child whom they 
chose. Members of the class then wrote compo- 
sitions and stories upon the various topics. This 
involved the use of many new words, which the 
children had selected from day to day and placed 
upon the blackboard for reference. Besides this 
fact, material, stories, poems, and songs about 
Eskimo life were collected, and many of them were 
learned. 

During the entire period (about six weeks), the 
construction work, involved in the completion of 
the project, was carried on. At each stage of 
progress, the work of the individual members and 
of the groups was presented for criticism and sug- 
gestion, and the class decided on the final products 
to be used. The manual work was surprisingly 
good for such young children. Practically all of 
the subjects in the curriculum for the third grade 
were taught thru this project. In fact, the arith- 
metic was the only subject for which extra work 
was provided. The children were keenly interested 
and attacked each new problem, whether it was 
constructing bases tor the Eskimo houses in the 
manual training room or learning a list of difficult 
words, with equal enthusiasm and determination. 

I. The making and dressing of an Eskimo doll 
was carried out involving: 

1. Studies of pictures and representations of 

Eskimo life. 

2. Modeling an Eskimo doll (a study in pro- 

portion). 

3. Constructing a doll trom brown ticking 

(designing, cutting, and sewing). 

4. Planning the clothes for the doll (cutting 

patterns). 

5. Selecting materials and the making of 

clothes (overhand stitch used, suggested 
by primitive method of sewing skins). 

II. The making of an Eskimo house consisted of: 

1. Studies of pictures of Eskimo houses. 

2. Drawing pictures of these on paper and 

the blackboard. 

3. Modeling the house in sand, or from 

modelline, etc. 

III. A sand-table representation of an Eskimo 
village by the class, included: 

1. The original plans which were drawn on 
paper and transferred to a board. (Each 
child explained his particular plan to 
the class. These plans were then dis- 



CORRELATING AND DEVELOPING UNITS OF IIVRK AND STUDY 



19 



cussed and the best one retained as a 
working basis. This phm was kept on 
the board until the sand-table repre- 
sentation was completed). 
2. The composition of the representations 
included: 

a. Landscape, houses, and people. 

b. Water, boats, etc. 

c. Animals, dog-teams, etc. 

IV. Individual representations were also made on a 
smaller scale. 

1. A program tor the parents which was ar- 

ranged by the children. (It included a 
complete unified review of the subject, 
thru poems, songs, compositions and 
stories, conducted in the same way as 
the daily recitations). 

2. An exhibit showing all the things matie 

and collected. (These were arranged by 
the children, who acted as guides to 
the visitors). 

RELATED PROJECTS— GRADE III 

Georgia Ames Kelley 
Teacher at the Hillside School, Berkele)-, California 

The objectives of another project were to put 
content, thru actual experiences, into the terms 
"cost," "selling price," "loss and gain," and also 
to test the knowledge of all the addition and sub- 
traction combinations, if possible. The class was 
studying a community, i. e. small town and farms. 
It was suggested that the class build a town so that 
they might buy and sell the different commodities 
necessary to daily life. Out of this suggestion grew an 
elaborate community, a town and adjoining farms. 
The farm produce, cattle ami hogs, sheep, poultr}", 
etc. were sold to the markets, and they, in turn, re- 
sold them to the consumers. The town bank loaned 
the money to carry on these enterprises, and also 
took deposits of money. There were public markets, 
a candy store, a grocery store, a bakery, and real 
estate firms, .'\djoining the town were a chicken 
ranch, a hog ranch, a dairy, and a f'ruit and vege- 
table farm. 

For the construction of the town and farms, the 
class divided itself into groups according to the 
enterprise which they wished to carry on. The 
children worked out their own ideas, constructing 
the stores, furniture, and the articles to be bought 
and sold. They laid out the farms, built the 
houses, and made the animals, people, etc. Catalogs 
were consulted as to fair selling prices, and prices 
were plainly marked on everything. Posters were 
used to advertise special sales. Large quantities 
of money of all denominations were made for the 
use of the bank. During the arithmetic period. 



actual buying and selling was carried on. Each 
group selected one of its members to "keep shop," 
while the others went out to trade. At the end 
of the period, each child figured up his transactions 
to see what his profits or losses were and settled 
his account at the bank. Some of these problems 
were written on the board and the entire class 
aided in their solution. 

The following subject correlations were involved: 

I. The industrial arts studies included card- 
board anti paper construction, woodwork, modeling, 
sand-table representations, ilrawing, painting, and 
printing. 

II. The arithmetic work included problems in 
addition, subtraction, multiplication, fractional 
parts, U. S. money, reading and writing, and mak- 
ing correct change. This work helped the pupils 
to understand and use such terms as "cost," "selling 
price," and "profit and loss." 

III. The language work included: 

1. Oral expression, thru discussion of pro- 

ject, names for towns, stores, and farms, 
stating of problems, etc. 

2. Written forms in making out bills, writing 

advertisements, etc. 

SHELTER AND FOOD— GRADE IV 

Mrs. Lois Coffev-Mossman 

Instructor of Elementary Education 

Teachers College, Columbia University 

New York City 

A group of fourth-grade children in New York 
City studied the Virginia colony. In reading the 
simple stories written about these colonists, it 
seemed that the children were not aware of the real 
life problems involved. So the teacher questioned 
them as to what the colonists ate and the sort of 
houses in which they lived. It was found that most 
of these children had never seen shingles on a house 
and had little or no notion as to what a log is. A 
small model of a log cabin was brought into the 
room and left where it might be examined by them 
day after day whenever time availed. This led to 
questions about making trees into logs and boards. 
To answer these satisfactorily pictures of trees, 
lumber camps, and saw mills were used. 

At first these children thought that probably 
sufficient flour was brought in the ship in which 
the colonists came to this country to supply them 
indefinitely with bread materials. When some 
notion of the size of the ship was obtained by com- 
paring it with ships anchored in the Hudson River, 
they were forced to find another source of bread 
for these pioneers. They found that corn was 
secured from the Indians and made first into meal 
and then into bread. But these children had never 



20 



INDUSTRIAL ARTS IN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 



seen ripe corn. A few ears were secured and it 
was interesting to see their eagerness to help shell 
it, or even to get a kernel in their hands. 

This shelled corn was ground into meal by the 
pupils and then made into corn bread, the bread 
being mixed in the classroom and baked in a 
neighboring oven. Finally the bread was eaten 
with honey, and thus the children gained some 
notion of a number of the difficulties which con- 
fronted the Virginia colonists. 

ILLUSTRATIVE PROJECTS 

—GRADES IV AND V 

Carrie B. Francis 

Supervisor of Industrial Arts, Indianapolis, Indiana 

The fourth and fifth grades in the Ralph Waldo 
Emerson School of Indianapolis worked out an 
interesting project during the spring semester, 
1920. This project was based on the geography 
work of the schools with two specific purposes in 
view; first, to enable the child to translate into 
terms of his own experience something of the life 
and conditions of the people whom he was studying, 
and, second, to stimulate an increased interest in 
the other subjects correlated with the work. 

The story ot the project developed was as follows: 
"An American child was sitting beside the fire- 
place in his 6wn home. As he sat there, he fell 
asleep and dreamed a wonderful dream. He was 
in a great airplane and as he sailed along he saw 
many strange and curious sights. The child first 
visited the frozen north, where he saw inassive 
icebergs, the brilliant northern lights, all the strange 
animals, the snow houses, and Esquimos, who live 
in them. 

"Next he visited a farm in the lemperate Zone. 
From there he was quickly transported to Japan 
amid the beauties of the cherry blossoms and the 
gorgeous, gayly dressed Japanese. In striking con- 
trast, he soon saw the more somber colorings of an 
Arabian desert with its white gowned Arabs and 
slow-moving camels. But, most delightful of all, 
he found himself in the depths of a dense jungle, 
where he saw peering out from the tall grass all the 
animals that gave him such thrills when the circus 
came to town." 

The boys in their manual training classes made 
all of the animals, homes of the peoples, vehicles of 
transportation, and the like for each scene of the 
dream. The girls in the sewing classes costumed 
clothes-pin dolls for the homes. In the art classes, 
cut-paper landscapes were made to show the settings 
for the scenes. The pose work was based upon the 
people living in these homes. At the end of the 
semester, large stages, replicas of the landscapes, 
were made, and homes, animals, people, etc. were 



placed in their individual settings with the American 
child in the plane above them flying from the North 
Frigid Zone to the Torrid Zone. 

This work and study aroused the keenest interest 
and much enthusiasm, which was felt not alone by 
pupils in the schoolroom, but also by the parents 
in the homes. This interest in the work served to 
bring the school and the home in much closer touch 
with each other. As the grades worked together 
on this problem, a splendid co-operative spirit was 
developed. This co-operative spirit should tend 
to broaden the child's interpretation of life and aid 
him to more wisely adjust himself to the outside 
world. 

CORRELATED FOOD PROJECT 

—GRADE V 

Mabel Hutchins 

Teacher of Industrial Arts 

Grand Rapids, Michigan 

I'his project consisted of the cooking and serving 
of a Colonial luncheon as part of the Tercentenary 
Celebration of the Landing of the Pilgrims. It is 
one example of the natural correlation of industrial 
arts with the other subjects. The industrial arts 
included work and study resulting in the pouring 
and dipping of tallow candles, making soap, in- 
vestigating Colonial foods, their food values, and 
composition, cooking utensils and dishes, planning 
a balanced menu for a luncheon, and finally cooking 
and serving it correctly. Related art problems con- 
sisted of charts showing composition of typical 
foods, cut-paper designs for table-top and hand- 
lettered menu and place cards. 

The history work involved an intensive study of 
the Colonial Period and the development of cook- 
ing methods; the language work included the 
writing of papers on the subject-matter, and oral 
compositions on the lantern slides; the geography 
studies helped the children to realize the sources of 
typical foods, the difl^erence between Colonial and 
modern methods of transportation, and the inter- 
dependence of the nations; while the arithmetic was 
vitalized by practical problems in marketing, com- 
paring costs of food and fuels, figuring food values, 
averages, and percentages. 

In the hygiene class early methods of sanitation 
were compared with modern methods, the value 
of food to the body was emphasized, and (along 
with the making of soap) personal cleanliness was 
taught. The related science allowed time for simple 
chemical tests tor food elements; the nature study 
was responsible for classifying the kinds of food 
native to the community, and a consideration of 
agriculture was made to allow for a study of the 
methods of production. Finally, the children were 
taught table manners, table service, and courtesy. 



CORRELATING AND DKVFA.OPING UNITS OF WORK AND STUDY 



21 



CLASS PROJECTS— GRADE VI 
A. A. Cain 

Ethical Culture School, New York City 

At the Ethical Culture School, New York City, 
we have found that a study of the elements of 
electricity interests the pupils of our sixth grade. 
A choice is permitted in making a motor, tele- 
graph, Bell telephone, wireless telegraph, or elec- 
tric toaster. Men whose names are prominent in 
the field of electricity are studied and as much in- 
formation as possible collected. This also creates 
a keener interest in the geography work when trans- 
portation, and modern facilities for travel are dis- 
cussed. 

Subjects are related in many ways, and the 
teachers in the different departments assist one 
another as occasions arise for developing some part 
of the work to a point of greater educational value. 
To illustrate this, I shall refer to a particular case. 
The sixth-grade class teacher had reached the point 
in geography where travel and lumber are associat- 
ed. One of the shop teachers had been interviewed 
and arrangements were made for a talk on lumber, 
concerning where some of the common kinds grow, 
how to tell the different kinds, and something about 
the commercial lumber industry in general. This 
information cleaned up some mathematical dif- 
ficulties by pointing out the sizes of boards and the 
commercial methods for figuring costs. At the 
same time, the shop benefited by showing the 
pupils the structural elements of wood, as there is 
seldom time during shop periods for such dis- 
cussions. 

From our experiments, it would seem that the 
work has a much greater educational value when 
there can be the closest possible relationship be- 
tween the activities of the classroom and the work 
of the shop. 

STIMULATING A STUDY OF 
ARCHITECTURE— GRADE VI 

L. A. Herr 

Supervisor of Elementary Industrial Arts 

The Lincoln School, New York City 

Thru the study of medieval history and a trip 
to the Metropolitan Museum, the sixth-grade class 
became interested in historic ornament. They 
decided to make some of the most typical and 
beautiful of the historic forms in plaster. The aim 
was to. make these as true to the best examples as 
possible. Both teacher and pupils collected draw- 
ings and pictures from which each pupil made a 
choice of the particular ornament he wished to 
make. Borders such as egg and dart, the bead 
and button, and the guilloche were the choice of 



the majority of the pupils, altho some selected 
different kinds of ornament. 

The work fell into three natural tii visions, namely: 

(1) Modeling of the desired form in clay; 

(2) The making of a plaster mold from the clay 
model; 

(3) The making of the finished cast from the 
mold. 

E.ach pupil began by making a full-sized pencil 
sketch of the form which was used as a guide in 
the mocieling. When the forms had been partially 
built up, several pupils cut templets to assist them 
in securing greater accuracy in their work. In 
preparing the temporary walls about the forms 
and in mixing and pouring the plaster, the pupils 
obtained good results by working in small groups 
and assisting each other. This work led to an 
extended study of architecture from the classic to 
the modern period. This study of architecture 
was successfully carried on by means of class dis- 
cussions, sketching, lantern slides, and visits to 
typical buildings. 

Relation Between 

Construction Problems and 

Intellectual Content 

The majority of the primary teachers 
report that they experience little difficulty 
in stimulating their pupils to select and 
develop suitable construction problems 
to aid in the elementary industrial arts 
studies. On the other hand, they have 
observed that the ability of these younger 
children to understand is usually far 
greater than their technic. While a 
much greater degree of precision and 
accuracy can be encouraged beyond the 
third grade, it is exceedingly important 
for all teachers of elementary industrial 
arts to distinguish clearly between those 
manual aspects ot the work which are 
intended primarily to result in motor 
skill (power over technic) and those which 
contribute mainly to general mental de- 
velopment. 

Mrs. Coffey-Mossman, Instructor in 
Elementary Education at Teachers Col- 
lege, Columbia University, has referred 
to the relation which might well exist 
between the subject-matter and the con- 
struction work as follows: 



INDUSTRIAL ARTS IN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 



To be worthy of a place in the school program, 
industrial arts should be able to show that it has a 
body of thought of its own. Some have regarded 
it as merely the handmaiden ot the other school 
subjects to make them clearer and more interesting. 
If this is true, the work should be embodied in the 
respective subjects, just as maps, charts, lantern 
slides, and stereographs are used now. But in- 
dustrial arts has a subject-matter of its own. It 
is a study which has to do with the activity of the 
race in transforming raw materials to meet definite 

needs The growth of the race in developing 

better ways of meeting these needs; the materials 
which have been found best suited to the needs; 
the limitations, the qualities, the methods ot pro- 
ducing, and the supply of these materials; the de- 
vices for making the things needed with their 
underlying scientific principles; and the efl^ect 
upon man both of making and of using these prod- 
ucts constitute a rich field of human activity worthy 
of study. 

The making of a thing best enables one to under- 
stand it. To stud)' the need as a problem until 
one can invent a way to meet the need is good, 
but the child cannot, in his short life, rediscover all 
the ways in which man has met these needs. He 
should then make the projects involved in his 
study whenever there is no easier way to get the 
idea as clearly as he should have it. This will 
necessitate evaluating every project upon the worth 
of the idea which it gives, upon the amount of 
time required, and upon the possibility ot a quicker 
way of securing the idea — thru reading about it, 
being told, seeing pictures, or seeing some one else 
make it. If the "inner felt"-series of sensations of 
which Professor James speaks is the only way to 
get the correct idea, then take the time for making 
the project. Projects in this subject exist then tor 



the sake of clarifying ideas and givirrg the child a 
real understanding and appreciation of the in- 
dustrial activity."* 

*CofFey-Mossman, Lois, "The Organization of 
the Curriculum in Industrial Arts in the Elementary 
School," Bulletin of the Teachers College Alumni 
Conferences, Columbia University, New York City, 
1913, pp. 80-81. 

Nearly all of the teachers qucsti(jned 
on this subject disagree with the follow- 
ing statement, which was made recently 
by one ot our well known educators: 
"The educational value is meagre in most 
oi the so-called elementary grade indus- 
trial work, because it is relatively devoid 
ot intellectual content." Invariably, they 
have stated that thru the group and in- 
dividual projects, several of which are in- 
cluded in these reports, they are demon- 
strating daily the presence of such intel- 
lectual ccjntent by having the pupils not 
only participate in manipulative work,, 
but also gain an intelligent appreciation 
of what the various problems, methods,, 
and conditions mean in terms ot his- 
torical development, social worth, scien- 
tific changes, and industrial growth. In 
other words, these purposeful activities, 
are constantly challenging the pupils to 
think, plan, speak, write, and read, as 
well as to use materials and tools to con- 
struct servicable and interesting products.. 



III. Methods of Offering Project-Problem Tn-struction 



INDLISl RIAL EXPERIF.NCKS INVOLVE 
THREE CLOSELY RELA'IED ELEMENTS 

AS previously indicated, varying de- 
grees ot emphasis are being given 
to the relative values ot construction 
work and subject-matter by the six ele- 
mentary grades in the school systems in- 
vestigated. Nevertheless, with tew ex- 
ceptions, these 352 teachers report that 
they recognize the neeci for having the 
industrial arts experiences give some at- 
tention to each one ot the tollowing 
closely related elements: 

(1) Motor expression as a means of stimulating 
interest and mental activity, and of de- 
veloping the muscles and senses to a 
reasonable degree (dexterity and discrim- 
ination); 

(2) Injormation regartiing common industrial 
materials, processes, iiroducts, and cie- 
velopments to make pupils conscious ot 
important divisions and relationships in 
their complex social environment; 

(3j Situations involving some understanding ot 
the human factors (problems, conditions, 
and meanings) in the workaday world to 
encourage thoughtful appreciation of the 
possibilities for social service and indi- 
vidual expression. 

In the teaching of industrial arts and 
related subjects, it is not uncommon to 
observe two widely divergent methods of 
learning in different elementary schools 
within the same school system, and even 
in different classrooms within the same 
building. Several ot the grade and special 
teachers still follow the traditional method 
of assuming almost the entire respon- 
sibility tor originating and announcing 
the object ot the lesson, for making the 
plans, and for asking the pupils to assist 
in the execution of these. However, a 
large majority of the teachers concerned 
in this investigation report that, when- 
ever possible, they encourage the pupils 
to set up purposes and to think out and 
develop plans on their own initiative. 



project-problem method of learning 
and of industrial arts instruction 

The project-problem method of learning 
is favored in principle by approximately 
91 per cent of the special and regular ele- 
mentary school teachers in the 141 school 
systems studied. This generally recog- 
nized method, which has received such 
wicie interpretation recently, preferably 
involves the conscious setting up ot speci- 
fic purposes by the pupils, the making ot 
plans to realize these purposes, the execu- 
tion of the plans developed, and, it pos- 
sible, the appraisal ot the results obtained. 
As would be expected, a considerable dit- 
terence of opinion exists among these 
teachers as to the amount ot responsi- 
bility in purposing and planning which 
can be profitably transferred from the 
teachers to the pupils. On the other 
hand, nearly all of these teachers serious- 
ly believe that industrial experiences 
should not merely limit pupils to either 
narrow or imposed tasks i)i handwork, 
but should offer sufficient opportunity for 
understanding and appreciating the worth 
of each activity and interest, as well as tor 
allowing some freedom in meeting the 
difficulties which arise in developing their 
own problems. While it is important 
that the pupils learn to follow directions 
and to conscientiously and accurately 
perform those tasks which are assigned 
to them, it is agreed that these require- 
ments should not be over -emphasized to the 
sacrifice of that development in initiative 
which makes for the proper expression of 
personality in either group or individual 
projects. 

Director H. G. Lull of the Kansas 
State Normal School, Emporia, Kansas, 
has suggested the tollowing method of 
procedure in project teaching: "The 
procedure, of course, will vary with the 
nature of the project, yet there are certain 



23 



24 



INDUSTRIAL ARTS IN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 



principles to be observed in the initiation 
of all projects. In the first place, the 
teacher should recognize the principle 
that the pupil's natural and relatively 
unhampered attack upon the lesson is 
an essential condition ot successful learn- 
ing. By natural attack is not meant 
the absence of ciefinite purpose in the 
attack nor of guiding suggestions by the 
teacher, but it does imply the removal 
of authoritative directions and prescrip- 
tions into the background. In the second 
place, the teacher and the pupils must 
recognize the following requirements as 
absolutely essential in starting a pro- 
ject: First, the pupils must work as a 
social group, in closest co-operation with 
one another; second, they must find a 
worthy purpose and make plans to realize 
it; third, as far as possible, they should 
make a tentative outline of the project 
as a means ot guiding the individuals of 
the class in their study; and fourth, they 
should distribute the work of the project 
among themselves, which is to be done 
in the following study (or work) period." 

It is encouraging to note that this 
form of purposeful teaching — call it what- 
ever you may choose — not merely recog- 
nizes the existence of knowledge, thinking 
power, and skill, as such, but places a 
premium on their proper expression and 
use without neglecting the physiological 
and psychological factors of child de- 
velopment. When properly conducted 
with respect to the needs and interests 
of the boys and girls, who have much 
work in common at this age, group and 
personal planning and experimenting 
occupy an all-important place in the in- 
dustrial arts projects and problems. Dr. 



John Dewey has referred to these promis- 
ing industrial activities as "ideal occas- 
ions for sense-training and discipline in 
thought." In continuing his discussion 
on "The Psychology of Occupations," he 
states: "Because the ordinary lessons in 
observation have no particular motive,, 
there is no outlet beyond themselves. 
If there are no real needs and motives 
for doing a thing, sense-training becomes 
a mere gymnastic, and easily degenerates 
itself into knacks, or tricks, in observ^a- 
tion. This means that it is a mere ex- 
citement of the sense organs. Normal 
thinking arises to meet some dif^culty„ 
but reflecting is the best way to over- 
come it. This should lead t(j planning 
for results to be reached. Certain steps 
and order are necessary." 

Brief Reports on Successful Indus- 
trial Arts Projects and Problems 

The following reports on the several 
types of successfully tried projects should 
prove suggestive to all teachers and ad- 
ministrators who have the responsibility 
for developing industrial arts activities; 
in grades one to six, inclusive. 

Types of P'irst, Second, and Third 
Grade Work 

A PLAYHOUSE PROJECT —GRADE 1 
L. A. Herr 

Supervisor ot" Elementary Industrial Arts 
The Lincoln School, New York City 

The first grade made a playhouse, using a piano 
box for a beginning. In planning the various fea- 
tures of the house, the class worked as a group. Iiii 
executing the plans agreed upon in these group dis- 
cussions, smaller groups chose different tasks. 
Freedom to shift from one type of work to another 
was encouraged so that every child gained many 
kinds of experience. 



^Lull, H. G. "The Project Method of Learning," 
Kansas State Normal School publication; also see 
Kilpatrick and others. "Dangers and Difficulties 
of the Project Method and How to Overcome 
Them — A Symposium," Teachers College (Colum- 
bia University) Record, Vol. 22, pp. 283-322. 



It is appreciated that an elaboration of the de- 
tails involved in each one ot these units would be 
both interesting and profitable if the space could 
permit; however, the contributors have usually- 
indicated that they will answer specific questions 
regarding their procedure and r^uhs. 



METHODS OF OFFERING PROJECT-PROBLEM INSTRUCTION 



IS 



Working in this wa\', a new Hoor was laid and 
paint was applied to the inside walls and ceiling. 
Measurements tor a rug were taken and after its 
size had been determined and the material selected, 
weaving was begun on a hand-made loom. At 
first the work was done in the simplest way, neither 
heddle, batten, nor shuttle being used. After the 
pupil had gained some experience, these features 
were then added. While this work was in progress, 
another group made turnirure consisting of four 
chairs and a table; another made draperies for the 
windows; still another made clay dishes to be used 
in future social functions to be held in the house. 

Thus it will be seen that in the working out ot 
this project and the different problems involved, 
the pupils gained firsthand experience with im- 
portant building material, with clay as a potter's 
material, and with textile materials. While the 
dominant interest of the class was in the making 
and the using of these products, much information 
concerning the character and the qualities of the 
materials, as well as the methods of converting 
these usable articles, came as a by-product ami 
formed a basis for further study. 

BOOKS AND OTHER RECORDS— GRADF. II 

Leon Loval Wins low 

State Department of Education, Albany, N. Y. 

(Formerly in Charge of Industrial Arts at the 

State Normal College, Bowling Green, Ohio ) 

In the second grade, a preliminary observation 
was made of our school books, involving the story 
of how we came to have books; tradition by word 
of mouth, covenants, the scroll, the folded sheet, 
laced sheets, the book; the bookbinder and the ma- 
terials which he uses: paper, leather, cloth, thread, 
glue, paste; the tools necessary for simple book- 
making; pencil, ruler, scissors, anci how they are 
used; and the care of books. Single-signature, 
flexible-covered pamphlets were made by each child 
to be used for picture study illustrations. Fasten- 
ing together in an attractive way the drawings made 
in the course, and making a simple-line cover de- 
sign with appropriate, lettered titles, also were 
satisfactorily accomplished by the pupils in this 
grade. 

CORN PROJECT— GRADE II 

Nellie Mae Lockhart 

Washington School, Youngstown, Ohio 

The purpose of this project was to show the 
children the great value of corn and to emphasize 

VVinslow, Leon L. Chapter 4 on "The Interpreta- 
tion and appreciation of Pictures" in bulletin on 
"Art and Industrial Arts," published by State 
Dept. of Education, Albany, N. Y. 



the extent to which it is usei.1 in their everyday 
lives. We first compared the inilian methods of 
preparing corn with our modern methoils. In 
order to accomplish this, some of the children 
ground corn between stones as the Indians did; 
while others brought in cornstalks and pictures of 
modern machinery. We then talked of the growth 
and care of corn. The pupils drew pictures of it 
and of the farmer at work. Some of the children 
who lived on farms made silos and told interesting 
stories of the preparation ot corn for the silo. 

Next, we studied the ditierent products ot corn 
and mounted many of them on a large chart. 
Samples of these products were brought in or, 
where these were not obtainable, the children read 
advertisements and mounted the pictures selected. 
Health posters and illustrated booklets comparing 
the food values ot corn with other foods were made 
and taken home. After studying these products, 
we took up other uses ot corn. To their surprise, 
they found they could make baskets, dolls, brooms, 
antl the like from the husks. \\\ thru this work, 
we tried to discover the time and interpret the 
value of the work done by farmers and manu- 
facturers in preparing corn and its products, so 
that we as consumers might receive the benefits. 
In this way, the children found plenty of inter- 
esting material tor reading, arithmetic, language, 
spelling, drawing, health talks, and constructive 
work. 

Some of the activities displayetl on the large 
class poster were as follows: 

\. Dolls. 10. Corn meal. 

2. Brooms. 11. Mazola oils. 

3. Corn-cob pipes. 12. Corn starch. 

4. Baskets. 13. Corn flakes. 

5. Paper pulp. 14. Chicken corn. 

6. Silos. 15. Hominy. 

7. Health booklets. 16. Popcorn. 

8. Karo syrup and candy. 17. Popcorn balls. 

9. Corn bread. 

We had expected to make candy from the corn 
syrup, to pop corn, and to make popcorn balls, 
but we lacked the necessary equipment at school. 

POTTERY AND CHINAWARE— GRADE III 

Effie Alexander 
Primary Supervisor, Adrian, Michigan 

The teacher's general aim was to arouse or in- 
crease the interest of her third grade children in 
some of the common manufactured products in 
everyday use, a'-d to show them how thesi things 
are the result of interesting industrial processes. 
It seemed desirable to lead the pupils to appreciate 
the skill and perseverance of the laborers, and the 
dependence of one worker upon others. In order 



26 



INDUSTRIAL JRTS IN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 



to accomplish these ends, it was decided to con- 
sider how pottery was once made by hand and how 
it is made in the factories today. The pupils 
wished to learn how pottery is made in order to 
make bowls in which to put the bulbs that they 
were going to give their mothers. The illustrative 
material used in this study consisted of pictures of 
the potter's wheel, pictures of the potter at work, 
pictures of the kiln, pictures of pottery, pictures of 
Indian women decorating pottery, plaster-of-paris 
molds for castings, anci Indian pottery and baskets. 

The reference books used most freely were: Ele- 
mentary Industrial Arts, by Leon L. Winslow; 
Makers of Many Things, by Eva March Tappan; 
Edson-Laing Readers, Book Three; Indians of the 
Southwest, by Pliny Goddard; and The World Book. 

The general arrangement of the ten lessons, which 
were developed with interest and satisfactory re- 
sults, was as follows: 

I. Story of the way in which the Indians made 

pottery. 
Pictures of Indian pottery. 

II. How pottery is made today. 
Picture of potter's wheels. 
Pictures of potters at work. 
Pictures of a kiln. 

Showing plaster-of-paris molds. 
HI. Cutting of silhouettes. 

Study of designs from pictures, pottery, and 
baskets. 

IV. Making units and placing designs on 

silhouette. 

V. Beginning bowl: making bottom and put- 

ting on one coil. 

VI. Finishing building up bowl. 

VII. Smoothing bowl; getting it ready tor decor- 

ation. 

VIII. Scratching design of border on bowl with a 

sharp nail. 

IX. Firing potterx' out-ot-doors in a large iron 

covered kettle. 

X. Smoothing and polishing bowl with sand- 

paper. 

CONCURRENT RELATIONS OF SHOP 
AND ACADEMIC SUBJECTS— GRADE III 

A. A. Cain 

Instructor Ethical Culture School, 

New York City 

At the Ethical Culture School frequent confer- 
ences occur between class and shop teachers for 
the comparison of notes, exchange of ideas, and 
rearrangement of outlined plans of work, in order 
that shop projects and academic subjects may each 
be filled with the most vital interests of the other. 



We endeavor to carry out this scheme of work 
from the kindergarten thru each of the grades. 
The following brief sketch of the work in several 
of the grades may illustrate the methods used. 

In the kindergarten and primary grades, we strive 
to acquaint the children with a few simple tools and 
technicalities. As soon as they can hammer in a 
nail without its bending, 'and actually make a saw 
cut fairly straight, the class and shop teachers confer, 
after which there may be conferences with the 
children to discover the trend of interests. In the 
third grade, this year the children have decided to 
make additions to their furnishings in the way of 
flower boxes, folding stools, and a play house. 
The flower boxes have already been made in the 
shop. Their color scheme and decorations are 
being planned in the art periods. Other problems 
will develop in a similar way. The arithmetic ot 
the grade is being applied to planning a zinc lining 
for the boxes. This requires application of the 
knowledge of addition for determining the length 
and width of the lining. (Also see fourth grade 
projects.) 

Types of Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth 

Grade Work. 

INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS— GRADE IV 

Charles Richards 

Director of Manual Arts 

Ethical Culture School, New York City 

The Mechanic Arts Department, of the Ethical 
Culture School, is at present striving to get light 
on the problem of how best to gain in its shopwork 
those deep-seated, thoughtful, self-active interests, 
that the boys have shown in wireless work, aero- 
plane making, and all work which they have, 
themselves, adopted for the time being, as hobbies. 
It is well known that a hobby receives absorbing 
attention. What should we do to secure the same 
results in our regular shop work? 

First came the suggestion that the pupils be 
allowed to choose their own individual projects 
regardless of any general class subject, rather than 
to have a common project chosen by the teacher. 
Then it was suggested that a subject like electricity 
or the boat-making industry be adopted and that, 
within the boundary of the subject, the pupil 
should have a free choice ot a project. 

For the past few years, the primary grades have 
had a very free choice of work. Last year in the 
fourth grade, we tried the second suggestion re- 
ferred to above. The subject was the shipping 
industry. It was the bond that held the class in 
common. The boats resulting from this under- 
taking surprised us all. Every boy was anxious 
to build a boat according to his own idea. They 



METHODS OF OFFERING PROJECT-PROBLEM INSTRUCTION 



27 



brought in ideas from models which they had seen 
in the parks and stores. They also delved into 
our shop librar\. Then in short talks we dis- 
cussed, planned, anil finally, in incredibly short 
time, produced boats of which the seventh or eighth 
grades could well be proud. Besides the boat, they 
gained spontaneously that vital subject-matter 
that tends toward an understanding and apprecia- 
tion of progress in the world in which they live. 
The plan was pronounced a success by all, and is 
being repeated this year. 

CLASS PROJEC'I'S— GRADE IV 
A. A. Cain 

Ethical Culture School, New York City 
In grade four, at the P'thical Culture School, 
New York City, we strive, so far as is possible, to 
begin the class project work. For the past two 
years it has been boat study and construction. 
The history studied in the grade centers about the 
Greeks, the Norsemen, the Yikings and the ex- 
plorers of various centuries. This offers a splendid 
chance to create interest in getting intormation on 
the various types of boats used by the peoples 
that are being studied and on the evolution of de- 
sign in boat building. Written articles on the in- 
formation found also are asked for in connection 
with the English work of this grade. 

FOOD PROJECT— DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 

FLOURS— GRADE V 

Mrs. Lois Coffev-Mossman 

Instructor of Elementary Education 

Teachers College, New York City 

During the war a fifth grade group of children 
took some time in discussing the problem ot getting 
adequate food. The discussion led to the problem 
of getting flour to make bread. Several children 
said they did not like rye and barley bread. One 
boy announced that his mother had quit making 
bread because she could not buy wheat flour, and 
she could not make good bread from the flour she 
could get. Out of these and similar remarks grew 
a feeling that there is a difference between wheat 
flour and other kinds. The teacher told them that 
she had read that there was a difference which 
could be found by washing each flour in water and 
comparing the results. 

Accordingly four bowls of water were procured 
and also four pieces of cheese cloth. In one piece, 
double thickness, was placed a quantity of about 
two tablespoonfuls of wheat flour; the edges ot the 
cloth were drawn together antl secured with a 
rubber band, so that there was formed a small, 
loose bag of flour. Similarly rye, barley, and corn 
flour were placed in cheese cloth. These were 



washeti each in a separate bowl, by gently shaking 
back and forth in the water. Each of the four 
chiliiren umlertook to care for one bag, washing it 
often during the liay. The teacher washed a bag 
of wheat flour, at home, to be sure there would be 
some properly prepared. 

The following morning the class met to examine 
the bags. Before opening them the children stated 
that they expected to find the following: 

1. The wheat flour would be sticky because they 
had found it so in making flour and water paste. 

2. The corn meal would be like wet sand. They 
could make no prophesy as to the barley and rye. 

Then they proceeded to open the bags in this 
order: barley, rye, corn meal, and wheat. The 
rye and barley were slightly sticky, the water in 
each case being somewhat milky. The corn meal 
was like wet sand, not sticky. The wheat was a 
gray, sticky lump, and the water was very milky. 
The teacher then told them she had a bag of wheat 
flour she had washed at home, and opened it. The 
lump was more definite and stretched like rubber 
or chewing gum. 

In response to the exclamations, "What is it?" 
it was developed that that was what was left after 
the starch was washed out into the water. The 
teacher supplied the name, gluten, telling them it 
is the protein of wheat. 

Having found this difference, the class exchanged 
ideas until they agreed to the inferences that the 
gluten must do two things for the bread: 

1. Keep it from crumbling by holding It together; 

2. Hold in the gases developed in making the 
bread ready for baking, thus making the bread light. 

To verify these inferences, they made two pans 
of corn bread, using the same recipe in each with 
the exception in the second instance ot substituting, 
for half the corn meal, wheat flour. They baked 
the bread in a neighboring oven, the mixing having 
been done in the classroom. 

On the basis of their inferences, they expected to 
find (1) the all-corn-meal bread thinner, because the 
gases had escaped and thus the batter was not 
lightened; (2) the all-corn-meal bread much more 
inclined to crumble. 

When the bread was brought back to the room, 
the inferences were found to be correct, the bread 
containing wheat was twice as thick as the other 
and held together much more firmly. • 

ILLUSTRATIVE PROJECTS— GRADE V 

Carrie B. Francis 

Supervisor Industrial .^rts 

Indianapolis, Indiana 

The 5A grade, at School Number 45, built a 
"Japanese Village," under the direction of Miss 



28 



INDUSTRIAL ARTS IN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 



Charlotte Thomas. This was based on their 
geography and correhited with art, spelling, compo- 
sition, and arithmetic. The aim of this work was 
to give the children a means of expression that 
would develop their initiative and originality, and 
also acquaint them with the world around them 
thru their efforts to express their ideas and interests 
in concrete form. 

From their homes and from the public library, 
these children brought books and pictures illus- 
trating Japanese lite and custom. They talked 
with people who had visited Japan, some of whom 
came to the school and told the class about Japan 
and its customs. The pupils decided the essential 
features ot the village, which was to be staged on 
the sandtable. Various parts of the village were 
worked out as group problems. The children took 
the initiative in deciding what should be made, 
how it should be made, the proportions and the 
materials to be used. In several instances, dif- 
ferent ways had to be tried before a successful one 
was worked out. Accuracy of representation, pro- 
portionate relation, color value, suitability of ma- 
terial, and artistic effects were some of the things 
for which the groups worked. 

Entrances to the village were made attractive 
by the torii. The streets, which were ornamented 
with stone lanterns made of clay, were made life- 
like by the jinrikisha and the tea and vegetable 
peddlers with baskets hanging from their shoulders. 
These were made of wood and painted in char- 
acteristic colors. An interesting part of the village, 
leading to the temple, was an arbor covered with 
wisteria. The figure of Buddha was modelled in 
clay by a boy who had never before done any 
successful handwork. He asked that he might do 
all the modeling. The bridge over the canal was a 
troublesome problem, as a proper curve for the 
bridge seemed impossible. One day a boy brought 
a coat hanger from home, because he thought it 
had a curve that would give the proper construc- 
tion to the bridge. From this, they worked out 
the curve of the bridge. One prominent feature of 
the village was the tea house decorated with lanterns 
and oriental curtains, which were made from small 
kindergarten splints. To find a material for the 
roof, which was pliable enough to be shaped and 
would also suggest tile, required some experi- 
menting. Corrugated paper, painted and shellack- 
ed to stiffen it, was found to be most successful. 

The teachers felt that the work vitalized the 
academic subjects; that the child's freedom of ex- 
pression, his self-direction, and his responsibility 
for his work helped to develop interest, originality, 
initiative, and independence in the class work. 



RELATED PROJECTS— GRADE V 

Gertrude A. Beers 

Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 

A fifth grade geography problem on the study 
of corn furnished a basis for a unit of work in food 
products manufactured from this cereal. In getting 
the material ready, each child made a booklet 
into which he pasted pictures from advertisements 
of ever)- kind of corn product that could be found, 
such as cornstarch, oil, s)rup, meal, breakfast- 
foods, etc. This booklet brought in the art prob- 
lems of proper mounting of pictures and a cover 
design in which the corn plant was used as the 
motif. 

It was next planned to make hominy. The 
class met out-of-doors to gather wood for a fire, 
which was to give the ashes for the lye. A cupful 
of sifted ashes to a quart of boiling water gave 
enough lye for the amount of corn used. The corn 
was boiled in the lye until the hulls loosened, then 
it was rubbed between cloths to take off the hulls. 
After being thoroly washed, the hulled corn was 
boiled until each grain was tender. 

A party was now in order, so a committee was 
appointed to arrange the tables. The hominy was 
served with cream and sugar. Whittier's Corn 
Song, which had been memorized in the literature 
work, was recited at the beginning of the feast. 

MAKING VASES OF CLAY— GRADE \'I 

Mrs. Lois Coffev-Mossman 

Instructor of Elementary Education 

Teachers College, New York City 

It was a sixth grade class. A friend had brought 
in some flowers for the room — yellow nasturtiums. 
There was a nondescript collection of vases, red 
glass of inartistic shape, pottery of good design. 
There was one Chinese bowl, low and spreading, 
of the sort for pansies. In deciding which was the 
more suitable for the nasturtiums, there was not 
much difficulty in eliminating the red vase, or the 
low Chinese bowl. In the discussion of the various 
vases it became apparent that the children had 
little or no notion of what material the vases were 
made. Finally, some ventured that they thought 
the Chinese vase was made of clay. 

This did not seem clear to many, so the teacher 
asked, "What is clay?" A number replied, "It's 
putty." Others thought it was wax and some 
suggested the word moldolith. 

To clear their thinking, some native clay was 
brought into the classroom. The children were 
unconvinced that it was clay, asserting it was 
soft rock. Some was put into water and the effect 
noted. Similarly some soft clay was treated. 
Further, to bring out the notion, a piece of the 



METHODS OF OFFER/AG PROJECT-PROBLEM INSTRUCTION 



29 



"rock" was rubbed between the fingers anil the 
children saw it was really a powder. This brought 
out the teacher's knowledge of how the potter 
wedges his clay to make it more plastic by reducing 
the amount ot air between the particles. The Book 
of Knowledge and encyclopedias were consulted, 
finding that clay was the result ot "disintegration 
of feldspar." This needed explanation, so the 
story of the great glacial period was discussed. 

Then one thoughtful child said he could not see 
how a bed of clay could be laid down free from 
rock and sand and gravel, since the glacier caused 
all this material to be mixed in the rushing waters 
flowing away. To answer, some clay, sand, pebbles, 
gravel, and rocks were put into a milk bottle with 
water. They were thoroly mixed into "muddy 
water." The children easily inferred that the rock 
and gravel would go to the bottom when the bottle 
had stood for a time. They were not sure what 
would "come down" next. In the morning distinct 
layers were to be seen below the clear water, the 
top layer being clay. The conclusion was drawn 
that a bed of clay is laid down only when water, 
mudd>' with clay, stands quiet for some time. 

The bringing ot clay into the room tor answering 
these questions, together with the remarks made 
by the teacher about the plastic quality of clay 
as she had found it in making vases, furnished 
stimulus to lead some ot the children to ask if 
they could try to make vases. The lack of zinc 
closets and the hot dry weather furnished much 
ditficulty in handling the clay, which served to 
strengthen the notions of plasticity already brought 
out. Before the making had progressed tar, the 
children began asking how the vase could be made 
so water would not soften it. This necessitated 
explanation of firing and the use of the kiln. The 
children wanted to know if they could fire their 
vases and glaze them. When green ware, biscuit 
ware, and glace ware were clear terms, the children 
saw that more than one firing was necessary, and 
then they thought out the fact that the first firing 
needed to be the hottest. Soon the question came: 
"How does the man know how to control the heat.^" 
A "cone" was brought to the room and its use 
explained. A trip was made to the kiln to take 
the green ware to be fired. 

When planning for the claze making, questions 
were numerous. "What makes the color?" "How 
do you put the design on.'" The teacher had not 
felt it advisable to plan to mention underglaze 
decoration, but the question came and had to be 
answered. Then they wanted to know how the 
pattern is put on the sets of china so uniformly. 
This necessitated explaining the methods used in 
factories today. .\ trip was made to pottery shops 



to see the wheel method b> kick wheel ami by 
electric power wheel. 

The third method ot making vases — by the use 
ot plaster-of-Paris molds — was taken up in the class- 
room, using a borrowed mold. It was unfortunate 
that time did not permit making a mold. The use 
ot the plaster-of-Paris mold involved noting the 
utilization of the property of plaster-of-Paris in 
absorbing water but rejecting the clay contents of 
the water. 

When the vases were nearly ready to go to the 
kiln — that is, after the children became interested 
in expressing their ideas of beauty by impressing 
the clay, shaping it to their liking, the teacher 
read to them Henry Van Dyke's "A Handful of 
Clay." A little ot the history came incidentally, 
but time prevented getting a clear notion of the 
contributions and characteristics of the various 
nations in the field of pottery. 

It may be of interest to note that these children, 
so full of questions about the facts of pottery 
making, seemed quite uninterested in hearing the 
myth of Grandmother Kaolin read to them. 

CLOTHING— GRADE VI 
Helen B. Gover 

Supervisor Elementary Industrial Arts 
Passaic, New Jersey 

Two of the most surprisingly successful projects 
come in the fifth and sixth years at Passaic. The 
first is a work-apron for school use, for which the 
patterns are measured and cut by each pupil. 
The sewing is done by machine. The second is a 
study of dyes. Various articles such as table- 
runners, neckties, aprons, and collars are the 
means of using some kind of textile decorations. 
Stenciling, tied-and-dyed work, wood-block print- 
ing, and embroidery call for the mixing and use 
of simple dyes, and the dying seems to form an 
unending source of delight on the experimental 
side, some rather interesting results having been 
obtained. In both of these problems the boys are 
more interestetl than the girls. The detailed work 
and study included: 
I . Subject-matter: 

A. Linen: 

1. Industry in Europe and LInited States. 

2. Processes of manufacture. 

3. .Advantages of linen over other materials. 

4. Ways of adulterating linen. 

B. Summary of study ot tour fibers: 

1. Origin. 2. LIses. .3. Tests for presence in 
fabrics. 

C. Dyes: 

1. Sources of dyes in ancient times. 

2. Vegetable dyes of colonial days. 



30 



INDUSTRIAL ARTS IN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 



3. Modern coal-tar d\es: 

a. Comparison in price and quality with 

earlier dyes. 

b. Problems of manufacture, German dyes, 

New American industry. 

4. Ways of using in textiles: 

a. Dying cloth in the piece. 

b. Dying the yarn. 

c. Printing patterns. 

d. Earlier methods. 



The important methods, which these 
teachers are stressing in approaching 
their so-called occupational studies, may 
be roughly classified as (1) industrial, 
(2) neighborhood, (3) evolutionary. Fig. 
Ill shows the number and per cent ot 
teachers using each method ot approach. 
The teachers who use (1), which is re- 















^ 


,, 




4 


^ 








. . 












12) 


141 




16 ! 


1)2 






! 






1 1 




1 ; 1 


^1 








I 








T " 




















1 1 
















1 




























j 1 






[ 




























__- 










1 1 


1 ; 


j 1 






































III III 




















. . . '~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H 


^g^^g^ 


^^^^^^M 




IIOTR 


II II 1 1 


nil 


1 1 1 1 1 


^TTTT 




-tr 


-^-^ 




M ilii im; 


M ;! 1 Ml 


H 


-" 
























1 1 1 i M 1 i { i 


1 ' 
























4i- 


x~ 


h 


i : i J 1 I 1 M ! 


U^ 




U- 


- 






























Neizhborhood ^^^^^H^H^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H 




"S 


i 










U -- 












-^i ; ; ' ! ■ 1 : ! ! ^^^ 


+tt^h 


















1 i ' ! 1 1 M 1 ! ' ! • ! i 




1 1 


















1 i i ' 1 * ' i ' 




1 1 




1 














! . M ! 1 1 1 1 1 , M i ] 1 1 . 1 [ i 1 






1 
















^^^^^^^^^^^^^^1 


1 
























I 




i 




















1-^ 


-U- 


J 






















"T^ 


^ 


-4 








-+T- 


-^ 


i ' [ 1 




H-^ 




4T 


T\ 


h 


h 




M 1 II 1 















54« 



Fig. III. Chart Showing Relative Numbers of These 352 Teachers Stressing Each General 
Method of Approach to Occupational Studies. 



D. Rubber clothing: 

1. Crude rubber industry. 

2. Goodyear and the development of the rubber 

industry 
II. Projects: 

A. Flax processes. 

B. Testing cloth tor various fibers by simpler 

methods. 

C. ."Aprons, runners, and ties, tied and d\'ed in 

colonial fashion. 

D. Chart of the rubber industry; 



ported more frequently than both of the 
other methods (in approximately 54 per 
cent of the cases), believe that the pupils 
should understand the industries of to- 
day and become appreciative users of 
products and service. The teachers who 
use (2), which is reported by over 29 
per cent of the cases, insist that it is 
wrong to have the industrial studies take 
Collection of rubber to show develop- the pupils beyond the first-hand experi- 
ment from sap to finished product. ences of the immediate neighborhood or 
Variability in Methods of Approach- locality. While the teachers who use 
ING AND Offering Industrial Studies (3), which represents over 16 per cent 
-Although the method ot approach to of those questioned, urge that the proper 
these industrial arts studies varies some- appreciation ot our industrial develop- 
what in the different school systems, the ment can be realized only by having the 
majority of the teachers are yio-iv making pupils evolve the study from the simple 
specific attempts to establish identity be- activities of primitive man to the com- 
tween the school experierices and the occu- plexities of the present time. 
pational activities in everyday life. In In spite of this marked difference in 
fact, over one-half of the teachers definite- opinion as to the best approach for the 
ly stated that these reproduced forms of study of industrial arts, 94.7 per cent of 
occupational work make strong appeals to these teachers are committed to giving some 
the spontaneous interests of their ele- time to a general understanding of the ma- 
mentary grade children. terials, processes, and problems involved in 



METHODS OF OFFERING PROJECT-PROBLEM INSTRUCTION 



31 



changing raw materials into mure valuable 
commercial products. Nearly all of them 
also state, with varying degrees of em- 
phasis, that the industrial work might 
well be considered as a means for enriching 
or vitalizing several of the other school sub- 
jects. 

A wide range ot opinion likewise exists 
as to the period above the third grade 
when the work of boys and girls should 
be differentiated. In the 141 school 
systems investigated the practices vary 
decidedly, especially in the fifth and sixth 
grades. Nevertheless, most teachers seem 
anxious to offer types of group and in- 
dividual experiences which will respect all 
levels of general and semi-specialized 
abilities. Nearly 41 per cent of the 
schools reporting state that the industrial 
arts work is offered in common to girls 
and boys thruout the first six elementary 
grades, implying that they are alike in 
more ways than they are different, al- 
tho the individual differences and capaci- 
ties are usually considered in the pro- 
jects and problems developed. Over 29 
per cent of these schools offer separate 
courses in the sixth grade, several claim- 
ing that the natural differences in the 
interests and aptitudes of boys and girls, 
even of this age, warrant this differentia- 
tion. Approximately 22 per cent of the 
schools begin differentiating their indus- 
trial arts courses in the fifth grade. 
However, only 7 per cent of these schools 
make any attempt to separate boys and 
girls for this work below the fifth grade. 

Preparation for and Supervision of 

Elementary Industrial Arts 

Instruction 

It is interesting to note that a large 
proportion — over 83 per cent — of the 
teachers represented by this investiga- 
tion received no special training for giv- 
ing instruction in industrial arts in their 
respective teacher-training institutions. 
On the other hand, it is encouraging that 
127 — or approximately 36 per cent of the 



total 352 teachers — report that they have 
since voluntarily improved their class- 
room work by becoming familiar with the 
recent developments in elementary in- 
dustrial arts instruction thru summer 
courses, extension classes, and the like. 
The amount anci kind of supervision 
which exist in connection with the in- 
dustrial arts activities also differ mater- 
ially. Over 88 per cent of these school 
systems report that the supervision is merely 
nominal., so far as improvement of class- 
room instruction is concerned. Teachers 
report the greatest help and super- 
visors the best results where the special- 
ists take the attitude of assisting the 
grade teachers, who naturally should 
have the better knowledge of their pupils' 
qualities. While it seems that several of 
the grade teachers are not sufficiently 
interested in the actual construction work 
to develop their own technic along with 
the pupils, a greater number of those 
who were not prepared reported that 
they have gradually taken over the re- 
sponsibilities of giving the entire in- 
struction, thus relieving the specialists 
for other duties. 

CENERAL SUMMARY 

Finally, over two-thirds of the special 
teachers and supervisors of industrial 
arts questioned agree with the large 
number of classroom teachers that, in 
general, the attendant skill and the related 
information acquired thru the elementary 
school period — for pupils ranging from 
approximately 6 to 1 1 years, inclusive — 
are to be justified mainly by resulting 
growth in thinking power and industrial 
intelligence. In other words, they are, 
in the main, quite convinced that situa- 
tions., projects., and problems should pro- 
vide the kinds and qualities of knowledge^ 
thinking power., arid skill (or dexterity^ 
which will help pupils to establish those 
habits and attitudes that contribute most 
to their daily conduct as intelligent con- 
sumers and citizens. 



REFERENCE BOOKS AND TEACHING MANUALS 

FOR THE SUPERVISOR AND TEACHER 
OF ELEMENTARY HANDWORK 

Teaching the Manual and Industrial ARTS^By Ira S, Griffith. 

A text for normal schools or colleges and a reference for manual and vocational teachers. Presents the 
philosophy of teaching manual and vocational education in terms of psychology, social science, and economics. 
It gives the conclusions of Thorndike, Judd, Bagley, Dewey and others, and illustrates them: so they serve 
the teacher as a basis for evaluating the manual and industrial arts. A book of value to the beginning teach- 
er, the experienced supervisor or the educational expert; an exceptional source of information on the theory 
and practice of its subject. Price, $2.00. 

The Manual Arts — By Charles A. Bennett. 

A treatise on the selection and organization of subject matter in the manual arts and on the methods of 
teaching. It states what manual arts should be taught in the schools, their place as concerns general and 
vocational education, principles underlying the' making of courses of instruction and methods of teaching, 
and shows the place of the factory system in industrial schools, etc. Heretofore no book has dealt with 
the pedagogy of the manual arts in so definite and clear cut a manner. The author has brought together, with 
ripened judgment, the result of years of experience. Price, $1.20. 

Educational Toys — Petersen. 

A comprehensive book on toy making for the school 
or home. Shows 57 toys including animals, wheeled 
toys, stationary toys, moving toys, puzzles, etc., made 
chiefly from thin wood with the coping saw and easily 
constructed in the ordinary school room or in the 
home. Tells how to make each toy, how to finish and 
color, about the few simple tools and materials re- 
quired. Well illustrated with photographs and full- 
size pattern drawings. Price, $1.80. 

Toy Patterns — Dank. 

A portfolio of toy patterns. Among them are Ani- 
mals, Animal Rocking Toys, Wheeled Platform Toys, 
String Toys, Lever Toys, Freak Toys and Novelties. 
Each toy is shown complete and each part is also 
shown full-size. They are designed to be made with 
the coping saw out of thin wood. Price, 80 cents. 



Sewing — McGlauflin. 

A handbook for teachers of sewing. It outlines in 
detail a graded course for city or rural schools. It 
is arranged for grades three to eight, inclusive. De- 
tailed descriptions are carefully given, together with 
information regarding the materials required. One 
chapter gives an excellent description of the various 
stitches; another is devoted to textile fibers and fa- 
brics; one to costume, and one to basketry. It is 
thoroly practical and offers valuable assistance to the 
busy teacher. Price, $1.50. 

Clay Work — Lester. 

This book was written by a grade teacher and art 
worker to help teachers in acquiring the technique of 
clay working, and to give them suggestions concern- 
ing the teaching of the several types of clay work 
suited to pupils in the elementary schools. It covers 
the study of natural forms, the human figure in re- 
lief and the round, animal forms, story illustration, 
architectural ornament, tiles, hand-built pottery, and 
pottery decoration. Price, 70 cents. 

Kitecraft and Kite Tournaments 

—-Miller. 

An authoritative and comprehensive treatment of 
kitecraft. The book deals with the construction and 
flying of all kinds of kites, and the making and using 
of kite accessories. Also aeroplanes, gliders, propel- 
lers, motors, etc. Four chapters are devoted to pre- 
senting a detailed description of kite flying tourna- 
ments. Abundantly illustrated and attractively bound. 
Price, $i.7S. 

The Construction and Flying of 
Kites — Miller. 

This contains twenty-two illustrations, including 
seven full-page plates of drawings of kites — over forty 
kites shown._ Details of construction given; a kite 
tournament is described. Full of interesting sugges- 
tions. Price, 25 cents. 



Stenciling — Mickel. 

Describes the technique of stenciling with water 
colors, oil colors, oil paints, dyes and crayon on linen, 
crash, poplin. Rajah silk, burlap, cardboard, un- 
bleached cotton, etc. The processes are illustrated by 
means of a series of problems suited to the different 
grades in the elementary school and in the high school. 
Many beautiful articles are shown and fully described. 
Price, 85 cents. 

Leather Work — Mickel. 

A manual on art leather work for students, teach- 
ers and craft workers. It gives detailed descriptions 
of the various processes of working, treating of flat 
modeling, embossing or repousse, carved leather and 
cut work. It is well illustrated with photograiibi* of 
finished work and working drawings of twenty useful 
and beautiful articles suitable for school and home 
work. Price, 75 cents. 

Paper and Cardboard Construction 
— Buxton and Curran. 

A handbook for teachers covering book problems, 
box problems, card problems and envelope problems 
for the fi'rst four grades. It outlines courses, gives 
detailed working directions, and suggestions concern- 
ing equipment, supplies and methods of teaching. Il- 
lustrated with photographs and complete working draw- 
ings of each problem^ Price, $1.15. 

Coping Saw Work — Johnson. 

Contains working drawings and suggestions for 
teaching a course in toy-making of thin wood that is 
full of fun for the children and affords ample means 
for training in form study, construction, invention and 
careful work. Has been called ''applied mechanics 
for the fourth grade." Price, 30 cents. 

Inexpensive Basketry — Marten. 

A teachers* manual, presenting in detail the pro- 
cesses of coiled basket construction. The book gives 
a complete treatment of the necessary equipment, and 
the preparation of raw materials, and outlines a course 
for grades three to six. It is unique among books on 
basketry, as it shows by a series of excellent photo- 
graphs every step in the construction of coiled baskets. 
The illustrations "really illustrate" and show the hand 
full-size in the different positions assumed in making 
a complete basket. Price, 45 cents. 

Bird Houses Boys Can Build — Siepert. 

A book of rare interest to boys. It illustrates hun- 
dreds of bird houses and shows working drawings of 
various designs, also feeders, shelters, sparrow traps, 
and other bird accessories. The common house nest- 
ing birds are pictured and described with information 
regarding houses, foods, etc., suitable for each. A 
pleasing and practical book for wide-awake boys. 
Price, 65 cents. 



Ask for a copy of our "Descriptive Catalo/' of Books on Manual, 
Vocational and Industrial Education. 



THE MANUAL ARTS PRESS 



PEORIA, ILLINOIS 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



019 744 204 



HoUinger Corp. 
pH8.5 



